


All Around the World Was Waking

by LoneWulffe



Series: Paradise in a Dream [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alien Cultural Differences, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Character Development, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Gen, Humor, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-04-07 23:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 115,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14091699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoneWulffe/pseuds/LoneWulffe
Summary: And I could hear the thunder and see the lightning crackAnd all around the world was waking, I never could go back'Cause all the walls of dreaming, they were torn wide openAnd finally it seemed that the spell was broken- Florence + The Machine, BlindingKara arrives on Earth while Mon-El remains a prisoner of eternity... but the bond they forged in the dream world is not so easily broken.A double life commences and things, as they are wont to do with the passing of time, begin to change.





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, no betas were placed in lotus eater machines for this fic.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having finally arrived on Earth, Kara begins to think that the dream had really been just a dream... but was it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! If this is your first time stepping into this series, I urge you to stop reading right now and go read Part 1 first. Very little you read here will make much sense if you try and jump into this series at this point. If you're one of my readers from Arc 1, welcome back! I told you I'd only make you wait two weeks, didn't I? ^_^
> 
> But enough of my mindless prattling for now. I'll let you read the chapter first and address you all at the end of it.

“You must be Kara,” the stranger said in Kryptonian, his words heavily accented and rather jarringly stilted to the point of sounding almost robotic.

“How do you know my name?” she demanded. “Why are you wearing my family crest? Who _are_ you?”

Nothing was making any sense and the only thing familiar about her current situation was just adding to her confusion. Despite her best efforts, Kara could feel her attempts to stay clear-headed fail as her fear slowly but surely transformed into paranoia. Was this yet another dream? Had Mon-El's crazy theory about them being trapped in a simulation – the theory they had discarded simply because it had been too disturbing to contemplate – been correct and she had somehow been transferred, for lack of a better word, from one generated scenario to another?

...Had that Mon-El even been real to begin with, in a manner of speaking? Or had he and that timeless world only been a complete fabrication – a creation of her own mind being the most charitable option? If that was the case, why would her mind choose the crown prince of Daxam of all people to be a source of comfort for herself as opposed to someone she was going to trust from the start?

There were too many questions and the only answers that came to mind were beyond troubling.

She took a step back, away from the stranger, and blindly reached out with one hand to grab something – _anything_ – for support. All her fingers found was the smooth surface of her pod and while it proved to be a poor source of comfort considering everything, it was something. Utterly lost as to what was happening, she had accepted the hand that had been offered to her and allowed herself to be pulled out of her pod but now that she was on her feet, the urge to run was overwhelming.

The stranger gave her what she presumed was meant to be a reassuring smile, having clearly picked up on her distress but understandably oblivious as to the specifics behind it. It was practised and seemed to come easily to him, two facts which just put her more on edge. Mon-El's smiles had always been tinged with uncertainty despite being completely sincere – a clear reflection of how he never seemed to be sure if he was doing the right thing but remained cautiously determined to try anyway for her sake.

Kara shook the thought away. Now was not the time to dwell on what might not have even been real – a laughable use of the word since it had all been a dream in the end regardless of whether her mind had created everything by itself or not.

“I understand you might be a little confused-” the stranger started.

“You think?” she snapped, distantly aware that the old her would likely never have responded like this. Dream or not, it seemed like Mon-El had definitely influenced her to some extent.

The stranger blinked in surprise, clearly taken aback by her response, although he recovered rather quickly and resumed smiling all too soon. “Please, let me try to explain. You're on Earth.” That explained the yellow sun at the very least. “And I,” he continued, pressing a hand to his chest, “am your cousin, Kal-El.”

“That's impossible,” she shot back immediately with a shake of her head. “My cousin is just a baby. You may be speaking Kryptonian and wearing my family crest but there is no way you could be him.”

Even as the words left her lips, however, Kara found herself bizarrely questioning her own convictions. There was a vague sense of familiarity to the shape of his face and his eyes that made her think of her aunt and uncle... but how...?

“...Kara.” The stranger who claimed to be her cousin said her name cautiously even as he kept smiling at her, and something in his tone told her that he was preparing to share something he believed would be difficult for her to grasp. “It's been twenty-four years since Krypton's demise.”

“You're lying.” He had to be. She was still twelve and had clearly only just arrived on Earth. If this was even Earth; all she had to go on was his word and in this very moment, she saw little reason to believe anything he said because what he was saying was just... _absurd_.

The stranger's smile turned sympathetic. It grated on her nerves. “I'm not, I assure you,” he said. “I can't be entirely sure but I believe that when we left Krypton, your pod got knocked off course somehow and you ended up in the Phantom Zone. You know what that is, don't you?”

“...Yes.” How could she not know of the Phantom Zone? Her own mother had overseen the infamous prison that Krypton had built in that place – a place where time had no meaning.

She started.

The timelessness.

Suddenly everything made sense in a crazy sort of way.

Her reaction, however minute, did not go unnoticed. “Do you believe me now?” the stranger asked carefully.

“...Tentatively,” she answered honestly and somewhat grudgingly. “How did my pod end up leaving the Phantom Zone then? And what proof can you offer me that you are who you say you are besides the fact that you're wearing my family crest?”

“I can't give you an answer to your first question since I don't know myself but as for your second question... Well, I know what our family crest means but I suppose that might not be enough to convince you... Let me think...” He frowned thoughtfully for a moment as he stared off into space before an idea occurred to him and he turned to smile hopefully at her. “You're aware that the yellow sun grants us powers, correct?”

“Yes.” Her mother's words from a lifetime ago came to her but even without that to back up the stranger's statement, the proof was almost literally in her own body. Even though she had only been under the yellow sun for a short while, Kara could already feel a strange kind of change taking place inside her. She couldn't quite put her finger on the how or what but the feeling was there nonetheless. It was... unsettling, if she was being perfectly honest with herself.

The stranger beamed at her. “Well then, allow me to demonstrate.” Then he floated in the air, shot beams from his eyes which burned her family crest into the ground and put out the resulting fire with a breath of freezing air from his mouth.

She stared, thunderstruck. “...And I'll be able to do all that too?” she asked faintly as she struggled to process everything she had just witnessed.

“Eventually, yes,” he – Kal-El, she told herself; there was little use trying to deny it any more – replied. “There's also the super strength, super senses, enhanced reflexes... well, I'll tell you the full list once we're somewhere a little more comfortable and you've had a chance to rest. It will take some time for you to gain all of them and reach your full potential though. That will depend on how long your body needs to absorb the necessary amount of solar radiation and acclimatise itself to the changes. But don't worry. You'll be in good hands and before you know it, you'll have learnt how to control them properly.”

“I... I understand.” She didn't. Not really. Her mind was still stuck trying to process everything she had been told since she had woken up. Twenty-four years. Kal-El, all grown up. Powers.

_Twenty-four years._

She'd lost twenty-four years of her life to that dream – a dream which was starting to feel more and more like something her mind had crafted simply to keep herself from going insane during her time in the Phantom Zone. And her purpose – the mission her parents and Kal-El's parents had entrusted her with – had essentially been ripped away from her without her even being aware of it.

What was she supposed to do now? Why was she even alive if there was going to be nothing to live _for_? Saying goodbye to her father and mother... Leaving them behind to their deaths... What had been the point of it all if this was how things were going to turn out?

Desperate, she raised a hand and clutched at her necklace if only to have something familiar with which to ground herself. Her baby cousin was no longer a baby and didn't need her protection. Instead, it seemed as if she was once again the one who needed someone to take care of her.

For one fleeting moment, the memory – was it really a memory? – of Mon-El and his clumsy efforts to comfort her after their disastrous first few interactions rose to the surface but she shoved it away with a vengeance. As much as she wanted it all to have been real to some extent, she was starting to believe the opposite despite her most fervent wishes.

“S-So,” she started, mentally grasping for something – anything – to keep her mind from spiralling. “You... Were you raised by Earth people then? Did they take good care of you?”

Kal-El smiled warmly. “Yes, I was, and yes, they did. They're called humans, by the way. They named me Clark – Clark Kent – and I'm proud to call them my parents. Proud to call Earth home.”

 _But they're not your parents, that isn't your name and this isn't home_ , she wanted to say but kept her mouth shut. It wasn't fair to Kal-El- no, Clark. Whoever these humans were, they had clearly cared for him and loved him as if he was their own child and he clearly loved them in return. He had been a baby when he had left Krypton; it made sense that he saw these people as his parents instead of... of two individuals he didn't even remember. That he saw this planet as home instead of the one he barely knew.

The realisation made her feel terribly alone.

“Are you... Am I going to live with you then?” she asked, desperate to maintain some kind of connection to her home and family. Even if Kal-El- no, Clark didn't remember Krypton or think of it the same way she did, he was still her flesh and blood. Besides, he seemed to care about her so surely-

“Ah... Actually...” he trailed off with an apologetic look on his face which set off alarms in her head. “I don't think that's a good idea.”

Kara stared at him uncomprehendingly. “What? Why?”

“A number of reasons,” he explained gently. “I've embraced my powers and am using them to do good here. Because of this, I have enemies on Earth – plus a few _not_ from Earth – and they will not hesitate to target you as a way of getting at me if they learn of your existence. It's safer if our connection isn't widely known; I hide my identity – both as Kal-El and Clark Kent – by calling myself Superman but I don't want to take any chances where your wellbeing is concerned. Plus, I want you to try and have as normal a life as possible.”

 _But normal is Krypton_ , her mind protested immediately. And still she maintained her silence. He didn't understand. How could he? How could anyone? Was there _anyone_ who could understand?

Mon-El. Mon-El would understand.

She squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to rebury the thought of him and keep her tears at bay. There was no point in remaining so attached to that dream – to someone who likely didn't exist... or at least, not as she had come to know him. She was awake and on Earth and this was reality. This was her life now, not that dream world.

 _You can't cry, Kara_ , she told herself sternly. _You shouldn't. It won't help._

“ _You can cry if you want to. I won't try to distract you this time, I promise.”_

Her hands curled into fists and the urge to cry became overwhelming. _Stop. Thinking. About. Him._

“Then...” She struggled to draw a steady breath. “Then where am I to go?”

Kal- Clark smiled and held out his hand once more. “Come with me,” he said and when she accepted it, he picked her up in his arms and took off.

Flying with him, it turned out, was very different from flying on a dragon. _And there you go again. Let it go already, Kara._

Before she knew it, he had landed in front of a small structure and her feet were back on solid ground. (When he took her hand again, she tried – she really did – not to compare his grip to someone else's.) “They've been waiting to meet you.”

“Who?” she asked, torn between genuine curiosity and growing apprehension. A part of her still refused to accept his reasons for not letting her live with him. Refused to see it as anything but him just... dropping her off on some strangers like she was... like she was a _burden_... like _he didn't want her in his life_...

_It's not like that. You know this, Kara._

It felt that way though, and no matter how much she tried to squash it, the impression remained.

“The Danvers,” he explained gently, and just then a couple emerged from the door of the tiny building. It was safe to assume that it was their home. “They're scientists who once helped me understand my own super abilities and learn to control them fully. They'll take care of you – give you the same safe human-type childhood I was able to enjoy – and teach you how to control your abilities too.”

“Will you...” She swallowed thickly. “Will you be close?”

There was that sympathetic smile of his again. Instead of reassuring her, it just filled her with dread. “I'm sorry,” he apologised sincerely. “I live quite far away. But we can keep in touch and I will come visit every now and then. If you want, I can stay for a couple of days. Just until you get a little more used to this place.”

“Please,” she whispered, and hated how desperate she sounded even to her own ears.

“Of course.” He knelt down and hugged her – carefully, like she was made of the finest crystal – as the couple approached them. “I'll make the necessary arrangements.”

When he released her, Kara found that the couple was already standing in front of them and sporting gentle smiles of their own. “Eliza,” the woman said as she pressed a hand to her chest – that must be her name – and gestured at the man beside her with her other hand. “Jeremiah.”

“Kara. Kara Zor-El,” she responded with a slight nod before she turned to face Kal-El- Clark. “Do they... Do they speak Kryptonian?”

“Only a little,” he confessed. “I'm sorry; it's my fault. I didn't give them much time to prepare for your arrival.”

“It's... understandable.” So she couldn't have even that. But it was fine. This was fine. She would be fine.

Movement from the top floor of the building caught her eye and Kara looked up. There was someone up there-

For one brief moment, her vision blurred and then she found herself bizarrely seeing _through_ the walls and the curtains to see a girl slightly older than her before she saw through _her_ as well-

She blinked and her vision was back to normal. But the episode had been enough to disorientate her.

Unaware of what Kara had just experienced, the woman glanced between her and the place where the girl upstairs was likely still standing. “Alex,” she said as she pointed in the girl's direction. “Daughter.”

Oh. So they already had a child of their own. A daughter, even. She felt horribly like she was intruding for some reason.

The woman – Eliza, she had to remember that – gestured at the building. “In? Sit?”

“Come on,” Kal-El – _Clark, it's Clark_ – murmured as he put a hand on her shoulder and guided her towards the door. Having nowhere else to go, she followed his lead and fell in step behind the couple.

Before she disappeared through the door, she noted that the sun was setting. It was strange, how something so normal seemed like an abnormality to her now.

“Sit,” Eliza said as she pulled out a chair in one of the rooms with a warm smile on her face while Jeremiah walked into an adjoining room with K- Clark. “Drink?” she asked as she placed a glass of water on the table in front of Kara who had taken the proffered seat.

“Thank you,” Kara replied without thinking and then winced when she realised there was the possibility that Eliza might not have understood her.

Eliza merely smiled, giving no indication whether she had or not, and patted Kara's hand gently before leaving to join Jeremiah and Clark in the other room.

Leaving her alone again.

It was irrational. They were just in the other room. Out of sight, yes, but just one room away. There was no reason to start panicking or think that she was being abandoned again. No logical reason at all.

The fear was still there anyway.

_Breathe, Kara. Calm yourself. You're not thinking straight._

Water. She could use some water. That would help. She didn't remember the last time she felt thirsty- No, she had to stop thinking about the dream.

She reached out with one shaking hand for the glass-

-only for it to shatter to pieces in her grasp, causing the water to spill all over her hand and the table.

There might have been a scream. Her own, probably. She didn't know. It didn't matter. She almost fell off the chair in her haste to back away and her movements caused the chair to screech in protest as its legs skidded across the floor.

They came running back into the room due to the commotion, matching looks of worry on their faces, and her fear from earlier mixed with new feelings of guilt and shame to paralyse her mind and body.

“I'm sorry,” she babbled, past the point of caring if they could understand her or not. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.”

“Kara, it's okay,” Kal-El – _Stop calling him that_ – whispered soothingly as he put a calming hand on her shoulder while Eliza and Jeremiah cleaned up the mess she had made. “We know you didn't mean to do it. Do you want to rest now? It's getting late and you must be tired from everything that's transpired.”

“I-I... okay.” It was probably better if she didn't do anything else. A small voice at the back of her head which sounded suspiciously like that of someone from a dream pointed out that she'd technically spent twenty-four years resting and more sleep wasn't going to help but she brushed it away. It wasn't like there was anything else she could do. Not without destroying something else in the process.

Everything that happened after that was a blur. She was given Earth clothes to change into – a matching set of loose shirt and pants – and guided to a small room with a bed by Eliza. “Sleep,” Eliza told her warmly before leaving her alone once more.

It was a small mercy that she had left the light on and the door slightly ajar.

The walls still seemed to be closing in on her anyway.

Irrational fear and mental exhaustion brought about by the developments and revelations of the day robbed her of her energy and Kara found herself losing consciousness even as she carefully lowered herself onto the bed. In her moment of weakness, she let herself think of the dream again.

_I want to go back._

It was the last thought she had before the darkness claimed her.

 

* * *

 

“Thank Rao!”

Her eyes snapped open at the exclamation – which had been in _Kryptonian_ – and she found herself enveloped in a familiar embrace.

“W-What...?”

She looked up.

A red sun. A cloudless blue sky. An endless field of green.

The arms around her loosened their hold and Kara stared in shock at the familiar face of the man kneeling in front of her. Her brain struggled to process the feel of his hands clasped on her shoulders... but as usual, it was that mixture of blue and grey she knew all too well that resonated in her very soul.

Her heart soared.

“M-Mon-El?” she whispered, eager but oh so afraid to believe.

“Gods, Kara!” His worry was clear in both his voice and his eyes. “What happened?! Where did you go?! And what in the world are you wearing?! One moment you were doubled over in front of me and then you just... _vanished_! Do you have any idea how- whoa!”

Somewhere in the middle of his panicked rambling, Mon-El found himself nearly knocked over when Kara threw herself at him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Only his quick reflexes, honed over a lifetime of sneaking around places he shouldn't be and playing Garata, allowed him to recover quickly enough to stop himself from falling flat on his back.

“You're _real_ ,” she breathed joyously as she let her eyes slide shut and a smile spread across her face. “ _You'rerealyou'rerealyou'rerealyou'rereal._ ”

“Um, yes?” He practically radiated confusion but hugged her again anyway, sensing that she needed comforting. “I'll be honest, I've never had my realness questioned before but I suppose if anyone had to do it, it would naturally be you. I mean, let's face it; you're crazy, Kara. It's only logical to conclude that something weird like questioning if I'm real or not should come to you as easily as breathing.”

It was such a Mon-El thing to say that Kara couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up in her throat. “You're real,” she repeated, too preoccupied with that fact to say anything else.

“Yes, we've already established that,” he remarked, a trace of bemusement in his tone which was noticeably absent in his next words, having been replaced with quiet concern. “Are you okay?”

“I'm so much better now,” she whispered gratefully before finally releasing him so she could take in the sight of his face. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” He eyed her carefully as he rested his hands back on her shoulders and she didn't miss how he'd quickly scanned her for injuries. “What happened, Kara?”

“I... I woke up, Mon-El.” She brought her own hands up to clasp his arms. “We were right. This... all this... it's all a dream.”

His lips curled upwards ever so slightly. “Well, good to know we're smart enough to figure that out. Wait,” he exclaimed as a thought occurred to him. “Does that mean you arrived on Earth? Did you manage to find Kal-El? Is he all right?”

At the mention of her cousin, the smile slipped from her face. “...Mon-El,” she started nervously, unsure how he was going to take the news. “I did arrive on Earth... but he was the one who found me instead. It's...” She squeezed his arms, hoping that the gesture would somehow be able to soften the incoming blow. “Mon-El, it's been twenty-four years. We were in this dream together for twenty-four years.”

His own smile disappeared. “What? But how?”

“My pod got knocked into the Phantom Zone- you know what that is, right?” When he nodded, she continued. “I think that's why time didn't pass for me – not physically, anyway. Somehow my pod managed to leave it and now I've finally arrived on Earth but I'm still twelve.” A disbelieving laugh escaped her. “I've been twelve for _twenty-four years_. And you...” Realisation dawned on her. “You're probably in the same situation.”

He furrowed his brow. “You think I'm stuck in the Phantom Zone? That I'm still there?”

“Maybe not the Phantom Zone specifically,” she quickly corrected him. “But definitely somewhere time is frozen. I don't know for sure but it's possible that this could be related to how we ended up sharing dreams in the first place.”

“It's possible,” he agreed. “But enough about that for now. You said Kal-El found you? And it's been twenty-four years? That means he should be a grown man already, right? So he'll take care of you then?”

His questions, while practical and well-intentioned, only served to remind her of everything else that had happened since she had woken up and Kara felt her heart sink as a result. “...No,” she whispered quietly as she looked down at her feet. “He's... he can't, he said.”

“What? What do you mean, 'he can't'? Why? You're his cousin! You're _family_!” Mon-El sounded equal parts baffled and indignant.

His outrage on her behalf made her want to smile despite her mood. “He's been using his powers on Earth to protect its people and made enemies as a result. He doesn't want them to find out about me and try to hurt me so he's asked a human family – that's what Earth people are called – to take care of me instead. He said... he said he wants me to have a normal childhood.”

“...But normal for you is Krypton,” he responded confusedly. “I don't... what does he even mean by that?”

“He means normal by Earth standards,” she explained. “I mean... it's the only normal he knows. I can't... I can't fault him for that, you know.”

Mon-El stared blankly at her. “He's an idiot.”

The urge to smile from earlier vanished and Kara found herself glaring at him. “Mon-El, that's my baby cousin you're talking about.”

“What? He is if that's his reason for not letting you live with him! Considering you're really smart for your age and I know of your family's reputation for producing high-ranking members of your society, the only conclusion I can draw is that he didn't inherit the house of El's intellect!”

“Did you just praise me and my family _and_ insult my cousin _in the same breath_?”

“I guess? Either that or he just became a prime example of why usage of the Birthing Matrix is the superior choice compared to the traditional way of producing children.”

She smacked him in the chest, having finally realised what he was up to. “Stop badmouthing my cousin as a way of distracting me!”

“I confess that was my goal but really, Kara, he _does_ deserve to be called an idiot-”

“ _Mon-El!_ ”

He heaved a sigh. “Fine, fine. I'll stop.” Head still hanging low in exaggerated defeat, he looked up to regard her seriously. “How do you feel about this?”

She turned away, finding herself unable to meet his gaze suddenly for some reason. “I don't... I don't really know. I just...” She blinked away the tears in her eyes. “I miss home.”

“Come on,” Mon-El said after a moment of silence had passed, letting go of her shoulders so that he could sit down before patting the spot next to him. “Sit down and close your eyes. I want to show you something.”

Kara followed his instructions, covering her eyes with her hands for good measure, and felt it as he asserted his will over the dream world. The only thing she could be certain of was that she was now sitting on solid vegetation-free ground.

“Okay, you can open your eyes now.”

When she did so and looked up, she saw the night sky, constellations she recognised and-

“Krypton,” she breathed in disbelief.

“It's the view from the balcony of my room in Daxam's royal palace. When I was really young, I used to fall asleep out here looking up at the stars and thinking about all the planets I wanted to visit,” he explained quietly. “I thought you might need to see it after... well.” He paused before continuing but in a softer and more apologetic tone. “I'm sorry this is the best I can do.”

“No, it's-” She sniffled and wiped away the tears trickling down her cheeks. “It's fine. Great, even. Thank you.”

“You're welcome,” he murmured, and obliged her by lifting his arm and draping it around her shoulders when she curled up against him and wrapped her arms tightly around his torso. (The urge to cry resurfaced when she realised that here in the dream world, she didn't have super strength and thus didn't have to worry about accidentally breaking anything or, more importantly, hurting him.)

“...Mon-El?” she whispered a while later.

“Yeah?”

“I'm glad you're real.”

“What a coincidence. I'm glad I'm real too.”

She hid her smile by burying her face in his chest but had a feeling he knew anyway. “Mon-El?”

“Yeah?”

“I'm really, _really_ glad I was able to come back here and see you again.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “What a coincidence. I'm really, _really_ glad you were able to come back here and see me again too.” There was a pause before he spoke again, and this time his voice was more sombre and devoid of his trademark cheekiness. “You're going to be okay, Kara.”

She tightened her grip on his shirt. “I will be now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have to say I'm both happy and sad that no one managed to guess how Arc 2 was going to start although akane171 came very close. Happy because I got to surprise you all but sad because I thought someone might have picked up on the clues I scattered here and there. Everyone was so worried about Mon-El being alone in the dream world for 13 years... well, now you can rest easy! ...But really, guys... I put so much work into building the dream world I wasn't going to drop it after one arc; I thought that was a pretty big clue... T_T
> 
> Oh, and thank you to everyone who voted on the side ships! If you're wondering about the results, there were 2 votes on James' ships and 4 on Winn's ships with the results being 1 for Lena/Winn, 3 for Eve/Winn and 2 for James/Lucy. I have to say, does no one besides akane171 want Lena in a relationship? At this rate, her 'eternally single' status is going to be the reason she turns evil... I'll leave it at that for now since those will only be coming in later but I may or may not reopen the poll before then.  
> EDIT: A late vote for Lena/Winn brings the score to 2 for Lena/Winn, 3 for Eve/Winn and 2 for James/Lucy! (There's a 90% chance I'm going to reopen this poll now.)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter and were pleasantly surprised by where I've decided to go with this story. For those of you looking forward to romantic!Karamel, I humbly request that you continue to be patient and enjoy the journey in the meantime. If you have any questions (especially about what prompted me to push the story in this direction), ask away. I will answer to the best of my abilities but if spoilers are involved, I'll have to be a little secretive. Sorry about that.


	2. Clarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara tries to find some answers to questions both new and old.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, this isn't an April Fool's Day joke chapter; it's a genuine update. I somehow managed to finish it despite my hectic week but ended up writing a lot of it while dead tired so please point out any mistakes you find so I can correct them. Anyway, enjoy!

Having felt the need to further reassure herself that she was once again in the dream world with Mon-El, Kara had quietly asked if they could carry out their last experiment again after a long while of silently looking up at the view he had constructed for her. Mon-El, fully capable of reading between the lines to deduce her true motivations after having spent an eternity getting to know her, simply obliged her but not before first checking to see if she was all right with him letting his current construct fade away in the process. She acquiesced, and was only half sorry to see night fade away to be replaced with a familiar red sun and blue sky.

He was here, warm and solid next to her, and had not so much as shifted even once as she continued to cling to him like she was afraid he was the one who could disappear at any time. That was enough for her.

Like before, the monument took a while to materialise although this time it was partially due to the fact that Kara was less focused on forming the construct itself than she was on simply revelling in the presence of the blue-grey energy in her head. As such, it was up to Mon-El to do most of the actual work of shaping the construct which had the added benefit of further strengthening the mental connection the exercise formed between them.

Under normal circumstances, he would have teased her about this – would have gone on a long exaggerated lamentation about how he now had the proof he needed to show the world that it was the Kryptonians who were the good-for-nothing bums while Daxamites were actually industrious people whose reputation had been besmirched by their hated enemies.

These were, however, not normal circumstances, and so he continued working on the construct without drawing attention to the matter.

“By the way,” he started after a moment, his gaze darting between her and the still-forming construct, “you never did answer my other question.”

“Hmm?” Her eyes slid open lazily and she tilted her head just enough so that she could look at him questioningly.

He nodded down at her, his own eyes focused on her current apparel. “Your clothes,” he clarified.

Oh. That. “Earth clothes I was given to change into,” she explained as she looked down at the sleeve within view. “Looks like what I wear here depends on what I was wearing when I fell asleep.”

Which possibly extended to her entire appearance. It was something worth looking into. Maybe she could try braiding her hair or at least tying it up before she went to sleep next time to test her new theory.

This latest discovery reminded her of the time she'd gotten a little overzealous – something which Mon-El would argue happened far too often – in her attempt to replicate one of his stunts. Too preoccupied with perfecting the little flourishing touch at the end, she'd forgotten to maintain a good grip on her dragon mid-spin and had ended up falling off. Mon-El had naturally caught her although the momentum had caused her grip on his arm to rip his sleeve a little in the process. She'd apologised profusely and he'd waved it off without a second thought... only the next time they'd paid any attention to it, the tear was gone and his shirt was as good as new.

“Well, that's good, isn't it?” he asked, drawing her out of her little reverie. “I mean, you _have_ been wearing the same clothes for twenty-four years.”

She let out a non-committal hum. If she was being entirely truthful, she was so desperate to maintain the illusion that she'd never left the dream world that she wished her clothes hadn't changed at all. Eyeing the outfit she had on right now, she briefly contemplated trying to alter it back to her own clothes. The only thing that stopped her was the knowledge that doing so would require her to divert her focus away from the monument... and that took priority. “I don't want to wake up again,” she mumbled instead of responding to his comment.

“I know,” Mon-El replied as he squeezed her shoulder sympathetically, “but I don't think you have much of a choice.” Silence descended upon them and lingered for a while before he brought it to an end by speaking up again. “Any idea how you ended up coming back?”

Kara closed her eyes and sighed, both grateful and annoyed that he had so quickly switched to what she had privately dubbed as his 'researcher' mode. It was true that they needed to understand this latest development but she was just so happy to be back in the dream world that she almost didn't care what had facilitated her return. “It could be a number of things,” she replied as she began contemplating the matter seriously albeit a little reluctantly. “Maybe it's related to how we ended up sharing dreams in the first place which we still know nothing about.”

“Do you think this-” he gestured at the monument forming in front of them but she knew what he was actually referring to, “might have something to do with it?”

“It probably helped,” she noted. “We should keep doing it just in case.” It was partially an excuse but she was genuinely unwilling to take any chances. In fact, she was going to do everything she could to ensure that she would be able to keep returning. Just then, a thought occurred to her and her brows creased. “There might be one other factor.”

“What is it?”

“I...” She hesitated, unsure how much or even what exactly to tell him. “When I first woke up, I started doubting that the dream had been real. I thought my mind had just invented everything to keep me sane while I was in the Phantom Zone. I was...” The words caught in her throat as the full weight of her latest revelation weighed down on her and her fear resurfaced. “I was _this_ close to believing you weren't real, Mon-El. I... If I'd let myself forget... If, at the last moment before I'd fallen asleep, I hadn't desperately wished I could return here, would I have been able to come back?”

“Shh. Hey.” He brought his free hand up to rest on her head. “You came back. Let's just focus on that now, okay? No need to worry so much about something that didn't happen. As for what you're suggesting, I agree that it could have played a part in your return.” He paused before continuing. “So are you suggesting that we both have to want to meet here for this to work?”

His phrasing made her look up in surprise. “'Both'...? Y-You mean... You wanted me to come back?”

“Of course,” he replied with a frown as if she'd asked something absurd. “I had to make sure you were fine. I was worried about you. Kara, you literally _vanished_ right in front of me. I had no idea what had happened to you. I'm just glad you weren't in danger.”

“I wasn't, of that I can assure you,” she said with a faint smile. “The Danvers – that's the house name of the humans Kal-El entrusted with the task of caring for me – seem like nice people. Eliza – the woman – at least knows a bit of Kryptonian and I think her husband Jeremiah does as well. They have a daughter, by the way – Alex – but I haven't actually met her yet. In any case, you don't have to worry about me in that regard.”

“That's good,” he sighed in relief. “I know it's not the ideal situation but at least I can rest assured that you're in good hands.”

“Mm.”

“...I still think your cousin is an idiot.”

She pinched him in lieu of a verbal response.

“Okay, _ow_.”

“Stop insulting my baby cousin.”

“It's not an insult if it's the tru- _ow_! Really, again?”

“Yes. And expect that every single time you say something mean about him.”

“I know he's family but really, you taking his side over mine just because he's related to you... I'm hurt more than words could ever express.”

A strange feeling like she was being tugged away from all directions even though she had not moved even the slightest put pause to her next words. “I think I'm waking up,” she murmured instead.

Mon-El brought his other arm around her small frame and hugged her. “It's okay. You'll be fine. You told me as much, remember?”

Kara shook her head, doing her best to resist the pull of the waking world. “I'm worried about you. I don't want to leave you here alone.” Confronted with the idea of losing him again, even if temporarily, she suddenly realised he had failed to mention how long – whatever that meant in this timeless place – he had waited before she'd returned. She didn't doubt that it had been intentional; in light of her obvious distress, he'd prioritised calming her over sharing a piece of information he probably deemed unimportant.

To him, anyway.

As someone who was so familiar with the terror of being left alone, she didn't want him of all people to endure that kind of torment.

“I'll be all right, Kara,” he murmured as he hugged her a little tighter. “You don't have to worry about me.”

“I don't think I'll ever stop worrying about you,” she managed to say before everything began to blur and fade away.

 

* * *

 

When she opened her eyes again to find herself lying on her designated bed in the Danvers home as the rays of Earth's yellow sun streamed in through the window, Kara found herself a lot calmer than she had been when she had fallen asleep. It was to be expected; she now knew that the dream world had not been a lie – that Mon-El was real and she could see him every time she went to sleep. That knowledge was an unparalleled source of comfort.

Sounds from somewhere beyond the door drew her out of her internal musings and she turned her attention to the rest of the house. Everyone else was most likely awake and already going about their day already. Curious, she tried to see if she could make out anyone's voice in particular-

-only for what felt like every sound in the world to besiege her ears, causing her to instinctively cover them in an attempt to block them out even as her eyes squeezed shut and a cry of pain escaped her.

Her scream must have been rather loud because the next thing she was aware of was the sound of thundering footsteps which got louder and louder as they neared the room.

“Kara?!” Kal-El's worried exclamation, while well-intentioned, did little to help her situation considering it was _so loud_. “What's wro- oh.” There was a pause accompanied by a breeze, as if something had moved abnormally quickly in the room, and then she felt hands gently prying her own off her ears. “Here. This will help.”

The next thing she was aware of was her ears being covered by soft cushion-like things and then there was blissful dead silence. She opened her eyes to find Eliza and Jeremiah standing behind her cousin who was now wearing Earth clothes instead of the outfit she'd first seen him in and fiddling with a strange black device that was connected to the things covering her ears. As she watched him, her hearing slowly returned... or at least that was how it seemed. If she had to guess, the device was helping to regulate the amount of sound that her out-of-control enhanced hearing was picking up. “What's that?” she asked, curious to see if her guess was right.

“Something a friend of mine who's great with gadgets helped create for me as a favour,” he explained. “I figured you might have problems controlling your enhanced senses at the beginning so this should help on the hearing side at least.” He handed the device over and let her examine it. “You control the filter with this dial – left for less sound coming in and right for more. It should come in useful at least until you're able to fully control when and where you want to use your enhanced hearing.”

“Thank you,” she murmured. Movement in the corner of her eye caused her to look up and she caught sight of the girl from yesterday standing at the door. Alex. The moment she realised she'd been spotted, however, Alex scowled and dashed away. All three adults turned towards the door at the resulting noise and Eliza ran after her daughter while calling her name but not before shooting all of them an apologetic look.

Kara had a feeling this was going to be a common occurrence in the foreseeable future.

“Well,” Kal-El coughed awkwardly, “let's deal with that another time. Jeremiah has something for you too.”

At the sound of his name, the patriarch of the house of Danvers stepped forward with a kind smile on his face and his hands hidden behind his back. Wordlessly, he knelt down in front of her and brought his hands up to reveal what looked like a copy of the strange thing she'd noticed Kal-El was wearing on his face. He held it up in a 'may I?' sort of gesture – at least, that was the impression she was getting – and she was curious enough to nod her assent. Very carefully, he unfurled the strange item and placed it on her head in a way identical to how Kal-El was wearing his.

She blinked and looked up at Kal-El questioningly.

“They're called glasses – a common enough item on Earth but these are specially-made ones that use lead-lined Kryptonian glass,” Kal-El said. “I'm not sure if you've experienced it yet but the enhanced sight the yellow sun grants you provides you with more than just perfect vision. You will be able to see through everything except lead. I call it X-ray vision. There's also the heat vision you saw me use yesterday. Wearing those glasses will help keep things under control if you should ever accidentally activate either of those powers.”

So that explained that strange incident from yesterday. “I see. Thank you.” She glanced between her cousin and Jeremiah who had stood back up. “Could you please thank Jeremiah on my behalf?”

“Of course,” Kal-El said with a smile and spoke to Jeremiah in Earthian or whatever the language of humans was called, presumably relating her message, before he turned back to her. “Well, that's enough for now. Would you like to eat something? You must be hungry especially since you went to sleep yesterday without having a meal or even a snack.”

Kara's stomach decided to answer in her place by grumbling loudly and she felt her cheeks heat. “Food would be nice,” she mumbled self-consciously and did her best to ignore the bemused grins on the faces of the two adults in front of her.

 

* * *

 

Eating Earth food, Kara decided, was proving to be one of the few things she was definitely looking forward to doing more often especially if everything was as delicious as the dishes she was served for breakfast. She was particularly fond of the brown and soft disc-like things Kal-El called 'pancakes' which was made even more enjoyable when she poured the sweet thick liquid called 'syrup' on them.

“Eat as much as you want,” he told her as he watched her devour her second full stack of pancakes. “One of the side benefits the yellow sun grants us is an enhanced metabolism. While it's a good thing when it comes to avoiding weight problems, you'll probably find yourself getting hungry more often than usual.”

She took that as him giving her permission to ask for a third serving although she did at least have the good grace to blush when Eliza placed it in front of her with an amused smile.

It was only after she had finished off her last pancake and was drinking something referred to as 'orange juice' that Kal-El cleared his throat in a way that indicated a serious discussion was imminent. “I know it's been hard for you trying to adjust to your situation-”

“You're right, he's totally not an idiot,” she was sure Mon-El would have said if he were present at that moment. Visualising pinching him – or at least her mental projection of him – helped prevent her from physically reacting.

“-so I was thinking there's something you might like to see,” he finished, oblivious to where her thoughts had gone.

His decision to be vague gave her cause for concern. “What is it?”

“A piece of Krypton, you could say.”

 _That_ got her attention. “W-What?”

“I call it the Fortress of Solitude,” he clarified. “When I found the crystal that was stored in my pod, I activated it and followed its signal to the Arctic – it's in the icy northernmost part of Earth – where it... created, I guess, for lack of a better term, a sanctuary that has a Kryptonian computer system among other things.”

Oh. He was referring to the compressed stronghold crystals that Kryptonian explorers used to take with them so that they could immediately set up a small base of operations on whichever planet they had discovered. The base came fully equipped with a computer system inside that contained a complete copy of Krypton's information database as well as highly advanced instruments and several other helpful pieces of technology such as robotic assistants with advanced AI.

“I...” Kara was torn. On one hand, she felt like she had to see it if only to help herself fully come to terms with the fate of her planet and move on. On the other hand, a part of her was afraid that seeing such a large physical representation of the home she had lost was going to make her more homesick than she was prepared to handle.

“We don't have to go if you don't want to,” Kal-El was quick to assure her. “Especially not so soon. I know it must be hard since it probably feels like everything only happened... well, yesterday for you.”

 _But it doesn't. Not really anyway_ , she thought to herself. _I lived through those twenty-four years in a sense._

It was that realisation which hardened her resolve. Throughout that twenty-four year-long eternity, Mon-El had been there for her as she had struggled to come to terms with how the life she knew had been torn away from her... and he would continue to be there for her as she dealt with the new and unexpected turn her life had taken once again.

“No, I... I'm fine,” she insisted after drawing a fortifying breath. “I'd like to go. Please.”

Kal-El offered her a gentle smile. “All right then. We can leave once you change into something a little more suitable. I don't think your body has absorbed enough yellow sun radiation to make you completely resistant to extreme temperatures yet so you may want to wear some warm clothes.”

 

* * *

 

As it turned out, Kal-El had not been exaggerating about the coldness of the place where this Fortress of Solitude of his was located. She couldn't remember the last time she'd ever had to wear such thick clothes and found herself actually looking forward to gaining this part of her powers. However, she could understand why the crystal had chosen here of all places as the ideal place for the base: aside from the chill, the remote nature of this Arctic ensured that there would be very few people who would be able to find it whether unintentionally or not.

The gigantic key made out of a million tons of condensed dwarf star was certainly another good level of security.

Kara had done her best to prepare herself for what awaited her inside on the way there but the statues of Uncle Jor-El and Aunt Lara had still brought tears to her eyes. It was heartening to know that even if he could not so much as remember his birth parents, Kal-El still honoured and cherished them.

“There are holographic memory files of your parents inside the system, if you'd like to see them,” Kal-El murmured, yanking her out of her thoughts and causing her to stare at him in surprise. Upon noticing that he had her full attention, he gestured at the large computer sitting in the centre of the main room of the Fortress. “I can activate them for you if you'd like.”

She shook her head. “I would like to do it myself,” she told him. “May I?”

“Go ahead,” he smiled. “As far as I'm concerned, this place and its facilities are as much yours as they are mine. We're family, after all.”

Having the permission she desired, she walked up to the computer and began familiarising herself with it. Thankfully, its setup was only slightly more complicated than the computer systems back home which made sense since there had been no need for such advanced equipment in a residence. No, the real difficulty came from keeping her hands steady as she keyed in the correct command sequence that would bring up-

Two holograms shimmered into existence and her breath caught in her throat.

“Hello, Kara,” two voices chorused. Two voices she thought she would never hear again.

“Hello, Father, Mother,” she choked out as she tried to take in their images through her blurred vision.

“What do you wish to know?” they asked in unison without a single change in either their tones or expressions. Their lack of reaction only served to remind her that these were just representations of them – that they were only poor copies of her parents and not the real thing.

This suddenly seemed like a poorly thought-out decision.

“N-Nothing. Thank you,” she whispered hoarsely and typed in the commands that would dismiss both holograms. If Mon-El were here, he would likely tell her not to regret it – that it was a good thing that she could at least have some way of seeing and hearing her parents again-

Mon-El.

Her fingers were already tapping furiously away even before the thought fully formed in her head. There was a moment of frustration as she struggled to figure out how to activate the function she needed before she finally found what she was looking for and keyed in the right command.

The holographic display lit up again and Kara's heart broke as she read the information being presented to her.

“Daxam?” she heard Kal-El ask curiously as he looked at the data on display. “Isn't that Krypton's hated sister planet? I'm surprised you care about what happened to them considering everything I've read about the feud between our planets.”

She thought of Bal-Seg, and how his one luxury had been a beverage made from special herbs that were only grown on the planet P'hur – a luxury that Mon-El had quietly ensured he would always be able to indulge in even when the herb was not in season.

She thought of Hal-Ed, who had gotten so drunk on his latch-day that he had run naked through the west wing of the royal palace and nearly drowned when he had ultimately passed out in the fountain of the main courtyard.

She thought of Nes'th, who got so jealous if she smelled the scent of another dragon on Mon-El that she would refuse to fly no matter how much he tried to cajole or bribe her.

“They were people too,” she replied softly without taking her eyes off the holographic recreation of Mon-El's home planet. “They had families. Friends. Pets. It doesn't matter what they might or might not have done; none of them deserved... _this_.”

“That's a very mature way of looking at it,” he noted, impressed.

She thought of Mon-El – of his cheeky grins which sometimes hid his pain and guilt, his willingness to teach her about his customs at her request, his clumsy brand of kindness...

“I had help,” was all she offered in response as she wiped away her tears with her sleeve and proceeded to shut down the computer. “I... I've seen enough for today. Can we leave now?”

Kal-El thankfully did not ask any more questions on the journey back to the Danvers residence. Instead, he filled the relative silence that followed them inside the house with explanations about the powers she would develop and details about his life on Earth including his activities as the individual – or 'superhero', as he called it – known as Superman. There was enough chatter to last all the way from noon to night and she took in every single piece of information he provided.

Even so, throughout it all a part of her remained focused on what she had learned in the Fortress of Solitude... and how she was going to share it with Mon-El.

 

* * *

 

“Oh no.”

Kara blinked in confusion, not having expected to hear that of all things upon appearing in the dream world. “Oh no what?”

Mon-El pointed at her face as worry creased his brow. “That look. It's never a good sign. What happened this time?”

“Nothing _happened_ exactly,” she said with a shake of her head. “There was just a lot of...” She paused as she searched for the right words. “Information, I guess.”

“Okay, let me rephrase then. What did you learn this time?”

She hesitated again, unsure where or how to begin. “Kal-El told me about what kind of powers I would have and his life as Clark Kent.”

“That doesn't sound like something that would upset you,” he noted carefully.

Trust him to be able to read her so well. “There were crystals placed in my pod as well as Kal-El's which were traditionally used by Kryptonian explorers to quickly set up a base of operations on other planets. I was supposed to use one so that we would have a place to stay when we arrived on Earth while the other was a spare just in case something happened to the first one. Kal-El used his and he took me there today.”

The worry was back in his eyes. “What did you find there?”

She briefly debated dragging this out a little longer but buried the urge, knowing that she was merely delaying the inevitable. “...Holographic memory files of my parents.”

His expression changed to one of understanding and he knelt down on one knee. “Come here.”

That was all she needed to hear and she went willingly into his waiting embrace. “Thank you,” she mumbled as she hugged him back.

“You're welcome like always,” he whispered. “Do you feel better after seeing them or...?”

She let out a shaky sigh and buried her face in his shoulder. “Yes and no. It's... nice, I guess... to know I can still see their faces and hear their voices but... the holograms... they're not... _them_.”

“I know. But at least you'll never have to worry about forgetting how they look and sound, right?”

“Mm.”

“Anything else?”

“There's... There's something I have to tell you.”

“...What is it? You're kind of worrying me here, Kara.”

“...I... I used the computer to do a scan.”

“A... scan?”

“Of Daxam.”

She felt him stiffen before he slowly released her so that he could look her in the eye. “What...” He swallowed and the grey in his eyes began to overcome the blue. “What did you find out?”

Kara hated herself for not being able to lie to him but most of all, she hated that she couldn't give him better news. “The debris that showered down on Daxam... Some of the larger masses struck your planet's moon and that disrupted Daxam's gravitational force.”

Mon-El stared at her, and she knew from the look on his face that he was struggling to understand what she was telling him. “Wait, what are you... What are you saying?”

“Daxam is still there, but it was ravaged by solar storms,” she explained with great difficulty. “It's a wasteland now. Your home... it's gone. Like... Like mine.”

The devastation she saw in his eyes broke her heart all over again and she could only watch as he released her entirely so that he could sit heavily down on the ground and bury his head in his hands. “My parents were right,” she heard him whisper hoarsely. “Daxam really did fall into ruin during my lifetime.”

Her dislike for Mon-El's parents flared up at his statement but she shoved away the sentiment. Now was not the time. Mon-El was the priority and if she didn't do something right now, he was going to fall into despair and there was a chance she would never be able to pull him out of it. “Mon-El...” At a loss for words, she still tried to comfort him anyway. “It's... It's not your fault. There's nothing you could have done.”

“I should have just shared their fate,” he continued as if she hadn't said anything. “A true ruler would have done that.”

The very idea of a world where Mon-El had died on Daxam and never ended up in the dream world... of a world where they had never met... it filled her with an overwhelming sense of sorrow and terror. A primal part of her refused to acknowledge the notion itself – rejected it so thoroughly that it crafted a response that was both wildly insane and perfectly logical at the same time.

In that moment, both her overpowering feelings and her natural recklessness drove her to make her next decision without a second thought.

(Later, she would reflect on her actions and know without a doubt that she would have made the same decision even if she had been in a calmer state of mind. It had only been a matter of time.)

The Temple of Rao, drawn from her childhood memories, formed around them even as she struggled to remember the words she had heard only once in her entire life in some half-forgotten ceremony. “I, Kara Zor-El of the house of El...”

“What...?” Startled out of his spiral of self-loathing both by the unexpected construct and the serious tone of her voice, Mon-El looked around wildly as he tried to figure out what was going on.

“...stand here today before Rao, the Sun of Righteousness...”

“Kara, what are you doing?” There was a slight edge of panic in the tone of his voice even though he didn't sound as if he knew for sure what she was up to.

She ignored him. “...He who sees all and loves all, He whose love is eternal...”

He got back up on his knees and clasped her shoulders. “Kara, stop. Please. This is crazy.”

So he'd figured it out. He must have learned about it during his lessons on Krypton's customs. Not that it mattered. “...may He bear witness as I take this oath...”

“Kara! Just stop!” His grip on her shoulders tightened and she could feel him trembling as if he was resisting the urge to shake her. He wouldn't, though. She knew he would never hurt her on purpose.

“I swear on my soul that I will do everything in my power to safeguard the life of Prince Mon-El of Daxam.” She stared him straight in the eye, hoping he understood that she wasn't going to back down. “May His gladsome rays light my path to this goal.”

“Kara...” There was nothing but disbelief in his expression and his voice. “Do you have any idea what you just did?”

“Swear a variation of the Sacred Oath that I would get you out of this eternal dream? Yes.” She didn't even blink. “You're my friend, Mon-El. I care about you. And that means I refuse to just do nothing and be content with leaving you here alone.”

“But the Sacred Oath!” he protested. “You're risking the damnation of your soul! For _me_! _Why?!_ ”

“You're worth that risk,” she told him simply. “Besides, I said this before and I'll say it again: I believe that it was Rao's will that we met in the first place. I have to believe that this isn't all there is to His plans for us and if that's the case, I _will_ succeed with His guidance. So please, Mon-El...” She clasped his arms and beseeched him with her gaze. “Let me help you.”

“I...” he started but faltered when he realised nothing he said would get through to her. That fact weighed on him like a physical force and he bowed his head in defeat. “Is there really nothing I can do or say to make you revoke that oath?”

“No,” she replied quietly. “You took care of me throughout that twenty-four year-long eternity, Mon-El. Now it's my turn to take care of you.”

A soft laugh escaped him. “That's kind of funny. I always thought we had been taking care of each other instead of it just being a one-way thing.”

“I... I'm happy you feel that way.” And she was. Immensely, inexplicably so. “So... do you accept?”

“I wasn't aware I had a choice.” He had said it with his customary level of wryness but when he finally lifted his head to meet her gaze, there was a flicker of hope and vulnerability hiding in the corners of his eyes. “Well then... I'm in your hands, Kara.”

“I won't fail you, Mon-El.” She would keep her promise even without the threat of eternal damnation she had brought to hang over her own head. Even if it took her years to do it. She owed him – and in some way herself as well – that much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to describe the interior of the Fortress of Solitude is tough when said interior seems to keep changing from episode to episode... or is it just me? Also, trying to explain how the hell that thing came to exist in the first place is its own kind of suffering.
> 
> PS: Can anyone guess who Clark's friend is? (No prize if you win though, haha.)


	3. Adapting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitting in on Earth requires sacrifices. Kara struggles. Mon-El tries to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys don't mind me as I continue to poke a little fun at Clark/Kal-El. I just couldn't resist. (Mon-El is basically me in that sense.) Enjoy the chapter in any case!

It didn't take even an hour before Kara found herself regretting waking up the next morning.

Shortly after she had eaten her last bite of a new kind of breakfast called 'waffles', she had been informed that the room she had slept in for the past two nights was not in fact her permanent quarters in the Danvers residence.

Instead, she was going to share a room with Alex from tomorrow onwards.

That was when the yelling began, because apparently even Alex had not known about this beforehand and was only just finding out now.

In Kara's opinion, the whole debacle wouldn't be half as frustrating if she could actually understand even a word of what was being yelled... especially considering she was the one on the receiving end of all that yelling whether directly or indirectly. The one thing she could be grateful for was the fact that she had her sound dampening device and had remembered to put it on; she didn't want to imagine how much agony she would be in right now if she had to endure this racket without it.

Aside from that, all she could do in her situation was glower at Alex as the human girl continued shouting her displeasure over the situation in Earthian – she really did have to ask Kal-El if that was what the human language was called – at her parents while pointing a finger at the object of her ire. Which, in other words, was none other than Kara.

“What is she screaming about _now_?” she asked Kal-El irritatedly as she cast her gaze at her cousin who was standing to the side awkwardly adjusting his glasses while Eliza and Jeremiah continued to presumably try and reason with their daughter.

“Well...” He coughed as if to stall for time and she narrowed her eyes at him. “She's... um... trying to negotiate the new arrangements.” That was likely his attempt at being as tactful as possible.

“I'd never have been able to guess,” she muttered sarcastically. Deciding that she'd silently endured this unintelligible verbal assault for long enough, she pointed an accusatory finger at Alex. “Can you please tell her that _I_ don't like this arrangement either?”

Unfortunately, her actions did not go unnoticed by Alex who got even more livid – that shade of purple the girl's face was currently sporting could not be a good sign – and began yelling in Kara's face.

Oh, that was it. She'd had enough of this one-sided shouting match. “Would you stop that already?!” she yelled back at Alex despite knowing that the language barrier meant that her frustrated demand would fall on deaf ears. “You _do_ realise I can't understand a word you're saying, right?!”

Then, as one, both girls turned and directed their murderous glares in Kal-El's direction. “Would you please tell her that she's being very annoying and I'd appreciate it if she would be a little less so?!” Kara shouted at her cousin. (If she had been able to understand English, she would have found out that Alex had shouted something quite similar as well although she had been notably less polite where her choice of words was concerned.)

In that moment, Kal-El looked like he would rather be anywhere else.

 _Good_ , a vindictive part of Kara snarled viciously despite her best efforts to tamp it down. _Now you know how I feel._ While she was doing her best to not be a bother to everyone especially the Danvers since they were kind enough to let her live with them without expecting anything in return, it was hard not to be irritated at how it seemed like she was expected to just accept everything going on around her without complaint.

Funnily enough, that appeared to be the one and only thing she had in common with Alex right now.

Eliza and Jeremiah began speaking again at that point presumably in an effort to calm their daughter down but whatever they said only made Alex scream in frustration and storm out of the room. Kara watched silently as the three adults glanced helplessly at each other before the Danvers went after their daughter while wearing matching looks of resignation on their faces.

The way things were going, she doubted that they were going to achieve any positive results.

Kal-El cleared his throat delicately, drawing her attention back to him in the process. “I'm sure things will work out between you two eventually,” he said with his usual reassuring smile.

“Maybe in a hundred years,” Kara mumbled under her breath.

“Anyway,” he continued as if he hadn't heard her say anything, “there's something else I need to talk to you about.”

Something about his tone put her on edge. “...What is it?” she asked warily.

The way he hesitated before answering her did nothing to help calm her nerves. “As you know, my human parents gave me the name Clark Kent when they took me in. It helped me to fit in even though I knew that I wasn't human.”

Her throat went dry as she realised what he was getting at. “Are you... Are you saying I have to give up my _name_?”

“Not entirely,” he was quick to assure her. “'Kara' is actually not an unusual name here in this part of Earth but 'Zor-El' is and it will definitely get you the unwanted attention I'm trying to keep off you. Since the Danvers are officially taking you in as their second daughter, the only change will be your family name.”

A small comfort. “So I will have to learn how to answer to Kara Danvers then?”

He nodded. “I understand it will be a bit of an adjustment but you will need a nice normal-sounding name in order to blend in especially when you mingle with other humans who don't know your real identity.”

'Normal'. She had to bite her tongue to stop herself from saying something she would regret. Logically, she knew that what he was saying made a great deal of sense but his constant usage of the word in the context of Earth when talking to her was starting to irritate her. “And I assume blending in also means I can't use my powers at all?”

Kal-El blinked, taken aback by her question. “Of course,” he replied as if it was obvious. “Well, I would say not anywhere that any human can see you but I would recommend not using them at all aside from the times you're learning to control them. You never know when someone might be watching so it's better not to take that risk.”

She stared, mouth agape. “But what if I need to use them?” she demanded to know.

“Need to- Why do you think you'll need to use them?” he asked confusedly.

“I mean... What if I want to visit the Fortress of Solitude, for example?” That was in fact her main goal as the instruments the Fortress was equipped with would prove invaluable in her quest to free Mon-El from the dream world. If her guess was right, all she had to do was locate his personal shuttle and find a way to bring it out of whichever timeless part of the universe it was currently drifting in. The easiest and fastest way to do that would be to utilise the computer system housed there but if she couldn't even _go_ there...

“I'll take you there whenever you like,” Kal-El offered, snapping her out of her thoughts in the process. “All you have to do is tell me and we'll make the trip.”

“I... Thank you. I'll consider it.” Kara bit her lip. This was problematic. She had no doubt that her scan of Daxam yesterday had already raised questions in her cousin's mind – questions that would only multiply if he once again saw her searching for something Daxam-related the next time they went to the Fortress. There was of course the option of telling him the truth and enlisting his help but she dismissed it immediately; trying to convince him of the dream world's existence would be an almost impossible task all on its own and he would likely just try to persuade her to believe that it had been just something her mind had conjured up all on its own.

That was not a risk she was willing to take. Not when belief that the dream world – and by extension Mon-El – was real could be one of the reasons she was still able to return there.

No, she was just going to have to keep all this a secret and find another way to fulfil her oath.

“I know it's a lot to take in in such a short amount of time but... I just want you to have as normal a childhood as possible, Kara,” Kal-El said kindly.

That word again. Her temper flared up but she did her best to suppress it. She had to keep reminding herself that her cousin meant well. That was reason enough to just breathe in and let it go. Be calm and completely accepting and not scream in rage at anyone.

 

* * *

 

“-have to hear that word _one more time_ -”

Mon-El did his best to suppress his bemused grin as he watched Kara vent her frustrations while pacing back and forth in the construct of her room back home on Krypton. The first thing she had done when she'd shown up in the dream world was glare at the Earth clothes she was wearing as if they had personally offended her. Then they'd slowly transformed into the clothes she'd been wearing when they'd first met and he'd gotten the sense that something had happened to make her crave every scrap of familiarity the dream world could provide her. He'd obliged by recreating her room for her, having memorised it down to the smallest detail after she had shown it to him numerous times during their shared twenty-four year-long eternity.

That had left her mind free to focus on maintaining the alterations she'd made to her clothes... and ranting about everything that had put her in this foul mood in the first place.

“-like I need his _permission_ to go to the Fortress of Solitude-”

He blinked. “Sorry, the Fortress of _what_?”

“Fortress of Solitude,” she repeated, sounding a little cross that he'd interrupted her venting. “It's what Kal-El named the base he created with his crystal.”

“The _Fortress of Solitude_?” he guffawed. “Why in the world would he name it _that_?”

She threw her hands up in frustration, clearly annoyed at the ridiculous detour he had introduced to the (one-sided) conversation. “How should I know? I didn't bother to ask him-”

“Is it because he has no friends?” he asked cheekily. “I can't imagine anyone would want to be friends with an idiot after all.”

“He has friends!” she retorted defensively. “And stop calling him an idiot already!”

Mon-El nodded with a faux serious look on his face. “Okay. Then there's only one other explanation I can think of.”

His behaviour made Kara narrow her eyes suspiciously at him. “What explanation?”

He cleared his throat. “Well, when a man wants to be alone...” he trailed off meaningfully.

She simply stared uncomprehendingly at him.

Instead of answering verbally, all he did was smirk at her and waggle his eyebrows suggestively.

Her eyes widened as realisation of what he was insinuating dawned on her and her face scrunched up in disgust. “Oh, _gross_! _Mon-El!_ Don't say that kind of stuff about my baby cousin!”

“Come on, Kara. He's a grown man now, not the literal baby you last saw him as,” he pointed out, making no effort at all to stop himself from grinning. “I mean, by the time I was his age-”

“ _He's not you!_ ” she all but yelled as she spun around and clambered onto her bed so she could grab her pillow and chuck it at his head. Of course, her projectile failed to hit its mark since his reflexes allowed him to catch it in mid-air and that seemed to infuriate her even more. “ _And I'm not listening to any more of this nonsense!_ ”

He winced as he let the pillow construct fade from his hands only to restore it to its original place on the bed. Okay, so maybe that last joke had been a little excessive. Despite the fact that she was incredibly smart and mature for someone so young, Mon-El had to remind himself every now and again that Kara was still very much a twelve-year-old Kryptonian girl. The combination of the innocence typical of her age and the prudish nature of her race meant that it would probably be years before she could handle that kind of humour. If ever. “That crossed a line. I'm sorry,” he said sincerely.

“Good. You should be,” came the muffled retort from the curled up form sitting on the bed. She'd hidden her face behind her knees, making it hard to tell exactly how upset she was and how much of her ire was directed at him instead of at everything else going on in her life.

A sigh escaped him and he scratched his jaw as he slowly made his way to her and slipped off his shoes before sitting down on the bed next to her. While he was aware that it was just a construct, he didn't think it was an excuse to forget his manners and turn into an uncivilised barbarian. “Hey-”

“I have to have a new name,” she cut him off without lifting her head.

Her unexpected statement surprised him to such an extent that he forgot what he had originally wanted to say. “You mean you can't be called 'Kara' on Earth?”

She shook her head but still wouldn't look up at him. “No, I can... but not by my full name. I...” She paused and drew a shuddering breath. “The Danvers... they're going to officially make me their second daughter so I'll have to use their house name instead.”

“...I see.”

“But I don't want to be Kara _Danvers_ ,” she whispered plaintively. “I'm Kara _Zor-El_. I don't-” Her fingers tightened their grip on her arms. “Why can't I just be _me_?”

“Hey.” She was already leaning into his side before he had even fully brought his arms up around her small frame. “No one's saying you can't be yourself, okay?” he murmured as he rested his chin on top of her head. “You'll always be you, no matter what name you have to answer to. Your mind, your heart, your soul... that will _never_ change.”

“I know,” she mumbled. “I know I'm being irrational but I just...” She shifted and released her death grip on her arms so she could grasp fistfuls of his shirt. “A part of me has this illogical fear that I'm going to forget who I really am the more time I spend being Kara Danvers.”

“It's not illogical,” he assured her quietly. “I know how much every single link you have left to your life back on Krypton means to you. Your family name – your father's name at that – is not something you feel comfortable giving up.” There was a lull in the conversation as he tried to figure out the right thing to say next. “Well, you'll always be just Kara Zor-El to me. So every time you fall asleep and come here, I'll remind you of that. Will that help?”

He felt more than heard the shaky sigh she let out. “That helps. Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” Mon-El hesitated before continuing. “That's not the only part about this name thing that's upsetting you, is it?”

Kara tensed in his arms, prompting him to stroke her hair in an attempt to calm her back down again. He didn't stop even after most of the tension had left her. “...Yes,” she finally answered.

“...They're not trying to replace your parents. You know that, right?”

“...I know.”

“...But it feels that way.”

“...Yes.”

“Well... don't hold this against them, okay?”

“...Okay.”

“...What about Alex?”

“She hates me.”

“I have trouble believing that.”

“It's true. I get it though. If I were in her place, I'd hate me too. I'm an intruder. I don't... I don't _belong_.”

“Just give her time. I'm sure the two of you will be able to find common ground eventually. I mean, look at us. If we can overcome all the obstacles we did to become friends, I'm sure the same will happen between you and her as well.”

“Maybe.” A pause. “I miss my parents.”

He hugged her a little tighter. “I know you do.”

“...Do you?”

Confused by the unexpected question, he pulled away just enough that he could look down at her. “Do I what?”

There was a flicker of guilt in her bright blue eyes, strangely enough, as if she was already regretting having brought this up. “...Miss your parents, I mean,” she finally whispered after visibly struggling with whether to let the matter drop or not.

He thought of the mother who had tucked him into bed at night when he was a child – the same mother who had fired a servant simply because he had spilt a drop of wine on the table at dinnertime.

He thought of the father who had once let him wear the crown while sporting a proud smile – the same father who had ordered the slaughter of a dissident group with a casual flick of his wrist.

“I...” Mon-El faltered as he struggled to find the words. “They're my parents.” There was so much unspoken meaning in that sentence.

Kara let go of his shirt so she could wrap her arms around him. “I'm sorry,” she mumbled into his chest. “I just keep asking all the wrong questions all the time.”

“It's fine. You didn't mean anything by it.”

“If there's anything I can do to make it up to you...”

“...Well, there is one thing you could do.”

“What is it?”

“You could finally admit your cousin's an idiot.”

Even though both of them knew that he had mostly said it just to change the topic, it didn't stop her from shoving him off the bed in retaliation.

 

* * *

 

Kal-El departed the next morning – a blessing in disguise since she was finding it hard to look him in the eye with Mon-El's insinuations still floating around in her head – but not before using his powers to help prepare the room she would be sharing with Alex. (So apparently it was totally fine for _him_ to use his powers whenever he liked but not her. That seemed fair, she grumbled internally.) Alex unsurprisingly made her displeasure with the situation known by storming out of the house, a decision which Kara could see herself making as well once she was free to do so if only for a change of scenery.

Just before he left, however, Kal-El gave her something that looked surprisingly familiar. “A wisdom cube?” she asked in confusion as she glanced between the Kryptonian device in her hands and her cousin.

“It's the one I used to learn Kryptonian,” he explained. “In your case, you can use it to teach yourself English.”

“English... is that what Earth's language is called?”

“One of them. Earth has thousands but English is the one you'll need in this part of the planet.”

She blinked at the mention of thousands but decided not to question the insanity. “Um. Okay.”

He smiled and patted her shoulder encouragingly. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” she mumbled, and tried not to feel envious as she watched him fly off.

With nothing else to occupy her time with, she resigned herself to being productive and went to find somewhere isolated that wasn't in the Danvers residence where she could begin her lessons. Eliza was kind enough to provide her with some food and water she could take with her when she signalled her desire to spend her day outside. Suitably prepared, she set out and kept walking until she found a nice quiet place that met her requirements. Feeling confident in herself, she plopped herself down on the ground, pulled the wisdom cube out of her bag and got started.

Two hours later, she was cursing whichever group of humans had invented English. “You mastered Daxamite, Kara,” she muttered to herself. “ _Daxamite!_ This stupid Earth language should be easy compared to that!”

“It was easier for you to learn Daxamite because you had a great teacher. Namely me,” she could practically hear Mon-El point out smugly.

A sigh escaped her and she put the wisdom cube aside so she could bury her head in her arms as her thoughts drifted to her friend. She wondered what he was doing right now in the dream world... but most of all, she wondered how he was dealing with the timelessness alone. From his perspective, did she disappear for only a brief moment? Or did the periods where she was missing stretch on forever?

She wondered... and she worried. _I'll ask him tonight_ , she promised herself. Her myriad problems last night had occupied her mind to such an extent that she'd forgotten all about it but she swore she would address the matter this time. After that... if things were as she feared, she would just have to figure out a way to fix it.

A strange sound drew her out of her musings and she raised her head to find a tiny black yellow-eyed creature staring at her.

Kara stared back in confusion. “Um, hello?” she said only to belatedly realise that there was no way the creature could possibly understand her.

Surprisingly, the creature opened its mouth and emitted that sound again as if it was responding to her.

The corners of her lips twitched and curiosity drove her to pick up the wisdom cube, aim it at the creature and activate the scan function.

“So, you're a 'cat',” she murmured as she read the information displayed on the device and looked up to meet the cat's gaze again. “Well then, hello cat.”

The cat meowed again.

“You know, it's almost as if you actually understand me even though I'm not speaking an Earth language,” she mused out loud.

Then the full weight of her words hit her.

“Wait... it doesn't matter to you what language I speak, does it?” A giddy smile bloomed on her face despite herself. “English, Kryptonian, Daxamite... you won't even know the difference.”

Another meow seemed to confirm her latest revelation... and a crazy idea popped into her head.

Last night, Mon-El had said given her a piece of advice which had seemed impossible to follow at the time but now actually seemed feasible. “Make your own normal,” he had told her. “Find all the little ways you can still be Kara Zor-El in the real world. Find a way to make the 'normal' you know fit into the 'normal' everyone wants you to be. I know it sounds incredibly difficult but you're smart, Kara. I have faith that you'll find a way.”

This... This could be one of those ways, however bizarre it might be.

“Do you want to be my pet?” she asked the cat excitedly. “It doesn't seem like you belong to anyone so... how about it?”

The cat stared silently back at her as if it was contemplating her proposal seriously before it meowed again and crept closer.

“I'll take that as a 'yes',” she giggled and held out a hand so her new friend could sniff her fingers. Since she didn't have full confidence in her ability to keep her super strength under control yet, she resisted the urge to pet it but considered this to be a good motivation for learning to do so. “I hope you don't mind if I give you a Kryptonian or maybe even a Daxamite name...” she mused quietly as she watched the cat lick the tip of her index finger.

This time, the cat kept silent – she took it as a sign it didn't object – and continued licking her finger for a short while longer before it decided to abandon it in favour of inspecting her bag.

Getting the hint, Kara reached in for the container Eliza had packed for her and tore off a small piece of the food inside to offer the cat. While it happily ate the food – she sincerely hoped she hadn't given it something that it shouldn't eat –, she pondered what to name it.

“You know, you make me think of my friend. His name is Mon-El,” she told the cat as she offered it another piece of her food. “When we first met, I yelled a lot of terrible things at him and ran away... except he came and sat down next to me afterwards despite all that just to comfort me.” She paused. “Well, this is our first meeting and I didn't yell at you but you showing up out of nowhere is kind of the same thing to an extent.”

The cat offered no objection to the comparison and kept eating.

“He had a dragon called Nes'th for a pet. She was black and had yellow eyes just like you.” She shot her furry companion a bemused smile. “You're definitely not a dragon though but I have a feeling you have your own strengths.”

As if it knew that it was being complimented, the cat looked up from its meal and meowed before it continued eating.

“Not like any of that helps me figure out a good name for you,” she sighed as she picked up the wisdom cube and began playing with it. “It's nice, though. That I can talk to you in my own language and tell you things I can't tell anyone else on Earth, I mean. I have Mon-El in the dream world of course but no one here I can talk freely with about everything. You have no idea how comforting it is...” she trailed off and began eyeing the cat critically.

Having finished its food, the cat looked up and met her watchful gaze with its curious one.

“How do you feel about being called St'rki?” she asked carefully.

A meow was her answer, as expected. She decided to take it as a sign of approval.

 

* * *

 

“Before we say or do anything else,” Kara began somewhat nervously almost immediately after she found herself back in the dream world, “I'd like to ask you something.”

Mon-El blinked confusedly, clearly taken aback by her unexpectedly sombre mood. “Uh, sure. Ask away.”

She drew a deep steadying breath. “How long does it... feel like, I guess... when I'm gone?”

The moment the last word left her lips, his face fell and a sense of unease overcame her. “Ah.” He looked away. “I should've expected you to ask that question eventually.”

“How long, Mon-El?” she pressed. “And tell me the truth. Don't try and lie to me just to spare my feelings. Please.”

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It... depends.”

“...On...?”

“On whether I think about it – about you – or not,” he sighed after a moment of silence.

She stared as her brain struggled to comprehend what he had just said. “W-What do you mean?”

Another heavy sigh escaped him. “It... It feels longer when I think about you not being here. If I distract myself, it feels like you return quicker.”

“S-So...” She swallowed thickly. “That first time I woke up... when you were worried about me and didn't know where I'd gone...”

His silence spoke volumes.

She lowered her gaze to stare at her feet and clenched her hands. “I'm... I'm sorry,” she mumbled and willed herself not to cry.

“Hey, don't be like that.” In the blink of an eye, he'd walked up to her and enveloped her in a hug. “You didn't do it on purpose so don't blame yourself, okay?”

“But you-”

“-did it of my own volition. I didn't know the rules. Now I know. I'll adjust. And I told you before; you don't have to worry about me.”

“And _I_ told _you_ I won't stop worrying about you.”

“Guess we're stuck then,” he chuckled somewhat humourlessly before his tone turned serious again. “You can't do anything about it so just... put it out of your mind, okay? I'll manage somehow.”

“I could sleep more often,” she suggested a little desperately.

“Kara, _no_.” He pulled away and met her watery gaze with his stern one. “Don't choose to spend more time here instead of the real world just because of me. I want you to live your life. Promise me you'll do that.”

“But-”

“ _Kara._ ”

She bit her lip. “...Fine,” she mumbled defeatedly as she looked away. “But you can't stop me from feeling guilty about this.”

“I didn't think I could,” he sighed. “You can, however, make it up to me.”

Startled, she turned to look at him again. “How?”

He grinned ever so slightly. “How else? Tell me how your day went every time you come back here.”

“...But I've already been doing that the past few times,” she pointed out.

“I guess it shouldn't be too difficult for you to do then,” he replied bemusedly. “I'm serious though. If I have something new to occupy my mind with every time while you're away, I won't feel the timelessness as much. That's how you can help. So what do you say? Will you do that for me?”

“Is that... really enough?” she asked dubiously.

Mon-El squeezed her shoulders reassuringly. “It is. Now come on.” He released her before sitting down and patting the spot next to him. “Tell me what you did today.”

Kara sniffled, feeling like it didn't quite make up for indirectly causing him to suffer the worst fate she could imagine, but did as he asked anyway. “I found an Earth creature called a 'cat'. Or he found me, I guess. Eliza and Jeremiah were kind enough to let me keep him as a pet.”

“That's nice of them. What did you name him?”

“...St'rki.”

One of his eyebrows arched but he was smiling. “You named him after the Daxamite word for 'solace'?”

“He's an animal. He doesn't know or care what language I speak or use to name him. Because of that, I feel like I can tell him anything. In that sense...” She shrugged casually but her blush gave away her true feelings. “He... He kind of made me think of you.”

His smile turned into a mischievous grin. “But I'm still the more handsome one though, right?”

She rolled her eyes and took that as her cue to create a construct of St'rki although her blush didn't fade. “You can determine that yourself because I refuse to give you an answer.”

“Hmm...” He held the cat up and examined it critically as if it were a priceless artefact. “Yep, I'm definitely more handsome than this guy.”

“Why am I not surprised you came to that conclusion?” she muttered rhetorically.

“That aside, did the name not draw any undue attention? I mean, it's not like I expected them to object but I'm a little surprised that Eliza and Jeremiah didn't try to ask what the name meant. Well, that's assuming they know the right words to say in Kryptonian to even ask that question in the first place.”

“Um...” Kara lowered her head so half her face was hidden behind her knees. “They don't have any reason to suspect anything. Because they think I named him something else.”

Mon-El blinked. “You mean...”

“I found an English word that sounds like 'St'rki' and told them that was his name instead,” she explained. “As far as they know, he's called 'Streaky'. So... my pet has a real name and an Earth name. Like me.”

“That's definitely a creative approach to following my advice to make your own normal,” he grinned. “See? I knew you would find a way. ...Wait.” His expression turned thoughtful and he looked at her curiously. “English? Is that what Earth's language is called?”

“It's one of them. Apparently they have thousands of languages.”

“ _Thousands?!_ ”

“I know. It sounds crazy to me too.”

“These humans sound very...”

“Disorganised?”

“...Well, I was thinking of a less tactful word but sure, let's go with that.”

She smacked his arm and ignored the wounded look he shot her. “ _Anyway_... as you might have guessed, I've been trying to learn English using a wisdom cube Kal-El gave me and I figured I'd teach you along the way.”

“Sounds good.” His face suddenly lit up. “Hey-”

The tone of his voice caused Kara to look up and that was when she spotted the glint in his eyes. “ _No._ ” She glared at him and jabbed an accusatory finger in his face. “Absolutely not.”

“You don't even know what I was going to say!” Mon-El protested.

“You were going to ask me to learn English insults so I could teach them to you, weren't you?”

He beamed. “You know me so well.”

“It's times like this that I wish I didn't,” she scowled. “And the answer is still no.”

“Fine, you killjoy.” A pause. “What about swear words?”

“ _That's even worse!_ And again, _no_!”

“Double killjoy. _Fine._ Just answer one question for me then.”

“...What question?”

“Are unflattering comments about a person's mother considered highly offensive on this planet too?”

Kara groaned and buried her face in her hands. “I've never empathised with Bal-Seg more than I do in this very moment...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I feel like I've been writing more angst compared to the humour or fluff I promised but I swear I'll try to balance it out... again! >_<
> 
> ...But seriously, can anyone tell me why in the world it's called the Fortress of Solitude?


	4. Integration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara is introduced to the horrible Earth experience that is 'school'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off: Congratulations, guys! We survived the hiatus and our show is finally coming back to us! Also, in case you've turned into a hermit during the last week, you should probably know that OUR SHIP MIGHT BE STARTING TO SAIL AGAIN REALLY SOON SO WATCH THE HECK OUT OF MONDAY'S EPISODE EVERYONE!
> 
> Now on with the chapter! Hope you don't mind me poking a little fun at the human race in general (and the US education system too) this time. Oh, and for the record, from this point onward Kara and Mon-El alternate between speaking Kryptonian, Daxamite and English so that they can both practise together.

“...So. Anything big happening tomorrow?”

“Nn.”

Mon-El resisted the urge to sigh loudly as he eyed the blanket-covered lump next to him on the bed. They'd defaulted to her room on Krypton again this visit – his was rarely used since Kara had sworn to never go anywhere near his bed for reasons she insisted didn't need to be said out loud although her luminescent blush spoke volumes – and she had pretty much been this way since she had first shown up. (He had no idea how much time, relatively speaking, they'd even spent like this but it _felt_ long in any case.)

Well, it would be more accurate to say that she had been rather sullen in general the past few times – it was hard to keep count and trying to do so only made the waiting in-between feel longer so he gave it up before long – with her moodiness only growing with every subsequent visit.

This time, it seemed that she had reached peak sullenness... and he had a strong feeling he knew why.

If he had to guess, tomorrow would be her first day of school.

And judging by the fact that she was now seemingly content to hide from even him after having been overly succinct when telling him about her day, she was not at all thrilled about it.

The urge to sigh became overwhelming but he tamped it down once more. He had been doing his best to lift her spirits the past few times with everything from Garata matches to tours of Daxam's landmarks. Those times, he had for the most part succeeded and she had at least looked a little happier when she was leaving the dream world than when she had arrived.

This time, however, he didn't think any of those tactics would work.

_Guess I'm going to have to play dirty._

“If this is about going to school,” he started in as casual a tone as he could manage, “I have to say I'm not surprised.”

No response. The lump didn't so much as twitch.

“After all,” he continued, “it was obviously too much to expect a brat like you to live up to the reputation your people had for being brave explorers of the unknown. That is, if that reputation wasn't pure fiction to begin with.”

The moment the last word left his lips, a foot shot out from under the blanket to kick him in the thigh.

It was the exact reaction he had been expecting and the opening he had been waiting for. Quickly, he reached out a hand to grab the exposed ankle and brought his other hand close so that the tips of his fingers could dance feather-light across the sole of the foot.

The lump shuddered and let out a muffled squeak as the foot was yanked out of his grip and tucked back under the blanket. Almost immediately afterwards, the other end of the blanket was thrown off and the form that had been hiding underneath it sat up. He then found himself confronted with the sight of a very irritated-looking Kara, her hair adorably dishevelled and her cheeks flushed in anger. “ _Mon-El!_ ”

“Ah,” he said. “The beast awakens.”

That was when he got smacked in the face with a pillow.

“Have I ever told you that you can be _really_ violent sometimes?” he asked as he swiftly tugged the fluffy weapon out of her hands and tossed it to the other side of the room before she could hit him with it again. “Always pinching or kicking or hitting me with something...”

“Well, you deserve it every single time,” she huffed as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared venomously at him. If her powers in the real world could manifest here, Mon-El was sure he'd be sporting a nice big hole in his head courtesy of her heat vision. “That was a mean trick.”

He shrugged casually and offered her a lazy grin. “I'm a Daxamite, remember? No trick is too underhanded for me. The important thing is it got the job done.” The grin slid off his face as he regarded her carefully. “Now that I've gotten you to emerge from your little cocoon, do you want to... I don't know, talk or something? Or are you going to go back to hiding under that blanket again?”

At that, she glanced away and her expression turned dour again but still she kept quiet.

“We don't have to do anything at all if you don't want to,” he told her gently. “But I'd like it if you didn't hide from me at least.”

“I'm not hiding _from_ you,” she retorted, sounding a little guilty. “That was... an unintended consequence.”

“...Of...?”

Silence again.

This time, he held his tongue and waited.

As expected, she eventually caved. “I don't want tomorrow to come,” she confessed. “And I thought that if I... you know, focused on thinking about tomorrow instead of having any kind of fun, it would kind of... delay it.”

A chuckle escaped him despite his best efforts to smother it. “I never thought of using the dream world's rules that way.” He paused before continuing. “Is it because you'll have to go to school?”

She nodded slowly.

He gave her a sympathetic smile. “Come here.”

Like every other time, she was already moving towards him before he had even finished speaking, pushing the blanket away and shuffling closer until she could tuck herself against his side and wrap her arms around him. “I _really_ don't want to go,” she practically whined.

“I know, I know,” he said as he enveloped her in a hug, somewhat grateful that their current position meant that she couldn't see the bemused grin on his face. “For the sake of clarification, which part of school are you opposed to exactly?”

“Try 'everything',” Kara grumbled. “I've been flipping through my textbooks and _holy Rao_ , Mon-El, they're so... _behind_. They've only just started covering stuff in maths and science I mastered when I was _four_. It's going to be so _boring_.”

“Guess we now have an alternate explanation for why your cousin is an idiot- _ow_!”

“Their history lessons are another thing,” she went on without missing a beat. “It's so confusing trying to remember which president did what-”

Mon-El frowned. “Sorry, what's a... what's a... pres... 'presibent'?”

“Presi _dent_ ,” she corrected him. “It's what the humans here call the leader of their country. Well, America and a few others anyway. Some countries call their leaders by a different title. I think it might have something to do with the fact that they govern their countries differently? I'm not sure. In any case, it's something else that varies depending on where you are on this planet.”

“Thousands of languages, multiple ruling systems... no wonder these humans are so backwards. How do they get _anything_ done on Earth?”

“Ask me that again in a hundred years and _maybe_ I'll have a decent answer by then because I have no idea right now.”

“Duly noted. What else?”

She fell silent and fidgeted a little. “...Too many people,” she mumbled after a while.

“Ah.” He'd guessed as much but it was good to have his suspicions confirmed. Up until now, she'd hardly had to deal with being in a crowd barring a scant few social events she had likely attended back on Krypton so he could see why this would be unnerving for her. “Well, maybe try thinking they're all just androids or-”

“It's not that. Well, not _just_ that,” she quickly amended. “I... I'm afraid I'm going to accidentally hurt someone with my powers. Especially my super strength. If I lose focus at the wrong moment...”

“But didn't you tell me the other time that you'd learnt how to control them?” he asked confusedly.

“In a contained, isolated and stress-free environment, yes. School is going to be the complete opposite of that.”

“Oh. Right.”

“And what if I slip up and accidentally speak in Kryptonian or even Daxamite instead of English? I'm pretty sure people are going to notice if I'm talking in a language that's completely foreign to Earth.”

“Okay, calm down.” He pulled away and tipped her chin up with one finger so he could look her in the eye. “You're worrying too much and overthinking everything. Just... take a deep breath and deal with everything one at a time, okay? When you're moving through a crowd, focus on making sure you don't bump into anyone. When someone talks to you, go through what you want to say in your head first before you speak. If that means hesitating before every sentence, so be it. People will just take it as you being shy. And so on. All right?”

“...All right,” she sighed as she went back to burying her face in his chest. “I'll do that.”

“Good girl. Anything else we need to address?”

Another heavy sigh escaped her. “Alex.”

“What about Alex?”

“I overheard Eliza and Jeremiah telling her that she has to look out for me while we're at school. She... didn't like that.”

That was probably an understatement. “Do they realise that they're not actually helping the situation between the two of you? At all?” he asked with a wince.

“I'm really not sure. All I know is it's been weeks and she still prefers to pretend I don't exist.”

Mon-El hummed thoughtfully. “Okay, I know you wanted to give her space in the hopes that things will smooth over eventually but I think we're going to have to change tactics if you want to make any actual progress.”

Kara looked up at him curiously. “What are you suggesting?”

“Talk to her while you're alone at school. Or at least outside the house. Wherever Eliza and Jeremiah aren't around to interfere. You've told me before that you understand why she's behaving this way so tell her that. Tell her you understand, explain your own position on the matter and ask her to meet you halfway. If you have to, offer her a tree branch-”

“It's 'olive'.”

“Right, an olive tree branch,” he corrected himself and missed the look of fond exasperation she shot him. “Basically a peace offering. Whatever you're comfortable with.”

“I'll give it a try. Like you said, it's not like my current strategy is working,” she muttered.

“If that fails, you can always do what I did with you,” he said and grinned when she stared at him in bafflement. “Make fun of her until she caves.”

“I am _not_ going to do that,” she retorted with a scowl.

“But it worked so well for us,” he pointed out cheekily. “Plus, it was _really_ enjoyable.”

“For _you_ , maybe,” she muttered sourly. “And my answer is still no.”

“Fine, choose the boring solution then,” he sighed dramatically. Suddenly he felt her grip around his torso tighten. “Time to wake up, I take it?” he guessed.

“ _Noooooo_ ,” she whined. “Just a little longer. _Please?_ ”

Mon-El laughed and patted her head consolingly. “Sorry, I don't think either of us have a say in that. Come on, off you go. And don't worry so much. You're going to be fine and when you come back, you're going to tell me all about this ridiculous human thing called 'school' so we can laugh at how silly these humans are together.”

There was some unintelligible grumbling and then she was gone, leaving him alone in her room with only the usual silence for company.

“...She's going to take a nap at school the moment she gets a chance, isn't she?” he asked himself out loud.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Kara saw when she opened her eyes was St'rki batting her alarm clock as if he had a personal vendetta against it.

“You and me both, St'rki,” she muttered grouchily as she reached out a hand to scratch the cat behind his ears. Noise from the other side of the room drew her attention away from her pet and she turned to find Alex stomping her way to the door and out into the hallway. She sighed while St'rki meowed his displeasure over the racket. Letting Alex use the bathroom first in the morning was one of the concessions she'd made in an effort to ease the tension between them but it had so far failed to have the impact she desired.

It was, as Mon-El had said, time to change tactics.

She went through the motions of getting ready for school and ate her breakfast quietly before following Alex out the front door, making sure to very carefully drop a goodbye kiss on St'rki's head just before she left. Then she bided her time until they had walked a good distance away from the Danvers residence before she made her move.

_Here goes nothing._

“Alex,” she called out after taking a fortifying breath. “I think we need to talk.”

At the sound of her name, the girl stopped in her tracks and turned around. One look at her face was enough to deduce that she wasn't eager to listen to what Kara had to say. “What is it?” she asked bitterly.

“Look, I know you don't like me being here-” Kara started.

Alex scoffed.

 _Keep calm, Kara._ “-and I understand why you feel that way but I'd appreciate it if you tried to see things from my perspective just a little.”

“What's there to understand?” Alex scoffed again. “And I don't owe you anything.”

Kara's temper flared and got the better of her despite herself, and before she knew it she'd stalked right up to Alex to yell in her face. “Do you honestly think that I _want_ to be here?! That I'm _enjoying_ this?! That if I had a choice, I wouldn't be back home on _my_ planet with _my_ family instead of yours?!” she snapped angrily, and that vindictive part of her took pleasure in seeing the guilt and shock play across Alex's face. “Trust me, _I_ don't want to be here as much as _you_ don't want me to be here.”

The guilt lingered in her gaze but stubbornness remained the dominant expression on Alex's face. “Fine,” she bit out. “Your situation sucks and you'd rather be elsewhere. I get it. But I don't have to like it.”

All at once, the fight left her and her anger was replaced by bone-deep weariness. “I'm not asking you to like it,” Kara sighed as she lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. “I'm just asking for a little understanding. Not your sympathy and certainly not your pity. I know this isn't easy for you either and your parents keep trying to force you to look after me without considering how you feel about all this. So I want to offer you a... deal, you could say. Just between the two of us.”

Alex looked intrigued if a little leery. “What are you suggesting?”

“I heard your parents ask you to take care of me while we're at school. Is that correct?” When Alex nodded, Kara continued. “Well, you don't have to. That's what I'm offering. You're free to pretend I don't even exist while we're there; just go about your life and spend time with your friends like normal. I can't do anything about when we're at your home but your parents aren't here to force us to get along so... yeah.”

There was a flash of something that could have been mistaken for worry in Alex's eyes but it came and went so quickly that Kara couldn't be sure. “How are you going to manage then?”

Kara shrugged. “I can take care of myself.” Perhaps with a little covert reliance on her less showy powers here and there but Alex didn't need to know that.

“...And what do you want from me in return?” Alex asked warily.

“It would be nice if you at least tried to pretend like you don't hate my very existence while we're back at your home,” Kara noted dryly. “If only to keep your parents from hounding us about not getting along at every waking moment.”

Alex blinked. “That's it?”

“Why, do you want me to ask for something else too?” Kara countered.

“Of course not.” Alex seemed to mull it over for a moment before she finally nodded. “Fine. I agree to these terms,” she said and stuck her hand out.

Kara stared at the outstretched hand in confusion. “...What are you trying to do?”

“Oh my _god_ , can you try to not be such a loser?” Alex complained. “It's called a handshake. People do it as a greeting or to make a deal official. You're supposed to put your hand in mine and then we shake them. _Hand. Shake._ Get it?”

The condescending explanation irritated her immensely but Kara bit her tongue and grabbed Alex's hand. “There. Happy?”

Alex rolled her eyes. “You're supposed to _shake_ my hand. Did I stutter?”

Against her better judgement, Kara let a sardonic smile twist her lips. “I know, but I wouldn't want to lose control of my powers and accidentally break your bones or anything like that.”

“...I can't tell if you're showing off or being considerate,” Alex said suspiciously.

“Why can't it be both?” Kara pointed out innocently.

Alex glowered.

Kara's smile turned saccharine.

“Ugh! I don't have to put up with this!” Alex yanked her hand free and stomped away in the direction of the school.

No matter how hard she tried, Kara couldn't wipe the grin off her face. Mon-El had been right; it really _was_ fun to mess with bratty girls.

“Told you so,” she could imagine him saying while looking as smug as ever.

“You're a terrible influence on me,” she sighed in Daxamite, her tone full of fond exasperation as she started walking again.

 

* * *

 

School was everything Kara had feared it would be.

It was too noisy, there were too many people, classes were either too easy or too confusing... the list went on.

The whole switching classrooms for every class thing was probably one of the worst parts since it combined several of those unpleasant experiences into one neat headache-inducing package. There was the noise, the large number of people moving about and the general sense of chaos and disorganisation she was starting to think was a standard part of human life.

Also, this whole thing seemed like a very inefficient system and it offended her Kryptonian sensibilities to no end. (Mon-El would likely have had something to say about _that_.)

At least she'd had the good sense to sneakily scan the school with her X-ray vision and memorise the layout before she'd entered the building; she had no doubt that she'd be even more lost and consequently frustrated otherwise especially since there was no one she could ask to show her around. Alex had, after all, taken full advantage of the agreement they'd made and disappeared to Rao knew where the moment they'd arrived, leaving Kara to fend for herself as she'd said she would.

Even so, nearly every moment she spent in school was stressful in one way or another. When she was in class, she had to make sure she didn't answer in Kryptonian when the teacher called on her. When she was moving from class to class, she had to keep dodging and sidestepping what felt like the entire population of the school. (She quickly lost count of the number of times she narrowly avoided crushing someone's foot with her own.)

By the time the bell signalling recess rang, she was beyond mentally exhausted.

Her eagerness to find somewhere quiet and decidedly less populated drove her to eat her lunch as quickly as possible so that she could head to the one place she was reasonably sure met her needs: the library. Luckily for her, the atmosphere that greeted her when she walked inside was exactly as she had hoped; there were very few people around and the 'QUIET PLEASE' sign at the reception desk assured her that she didn't have to worry about loud noises.

Now the question became... what to do?

Looking around her, Kara had to admit that it was quite an adjustment to see so many books – new ones at that – when all she had known in her old life was datapads. Every bit of information on Krypton had been only available in digital form for centuries and the only physical tomes that had existed were ancient texts that had been preserved as important relics of the past. This was definitely another new experience for her although unlike most other times, she found she might actually like this one.

She wandered around aimlessly, curious as to what kind of reading material she could find here, and decided to walk down one of the aisles labelled 'Fiction' on a whim. The filing system made little to no sense to her so all she could do was pick a book at random and pray that it would be worth reading.

“Well, this is interesting,” she murmured to herself as she stared at the cover and title of the book in her hands. Apparently humans had stories about dragons although they clearly thought they weren't real. Maybe she could give this book a try.

Then she flipped the book open to a random page and found herself reading a passage describing the dragons in the story being decapitated by the human 'heroes'.

She quickly snapped the book shut and shoved it back on the shelf.

Humans were apparently more barbaric than she'd initially expected if stories like these were what they considered to be entertaining. Mon-El would definitely be horrified at the thought of someone killing Nes'th... and in such a brutal fashion at that.

At the thought of her friend, Kara remembered how much he loved learning about new planets and their cultures and was suddenly struck with an idea. With the large number of countries and languages that Earth had, she could only surmise that there were countless different cultures to be found on this one planet alone. Maybe she could find a book or two that could tell her more about those things and relay the information to Mon-El; she was sure that he would find that infinitely more interesting than her usual grousing over her day.

...Or she could leave that for tomorrow and instead find somewhere secluded in the library where she could take a short nap right now and visit him.

Mon-El would _definitely_ object to that and besides, she'd already promised him that she wouldn't intentionally take naps during the day... but surely this was as good a time as any to make an exception? She _was_ tired after all and fairly certain that if she pouted and pleaded enough, she could get him to cave and forgive her for it just this once...

Mind made up, she spun on her heels and headed deeper into the library to find a quiet spot-

-only to practically leap back in alarm when she found herself nearly crashing into someone who had turned the corner at exactly the same time as her.

“Oh, sorry!” she heard the other person exclaim over the sound of her racing heart, and she looked up to find a human boy around her age standing in front of her with an apologetic look on his face. “I should've seen where I was going.”

“N-No, it's fine,” she managed to get out, remembering at the last minute to speak in English instead of her native tongue. The close call made her twitchy and she raised a hand to adjust her glasses for lack of anything else to do. “I should've been more careful myself so I have to apologise as well.”

The boy shrugged sheepishly. “Well, it sounds like we're both equally sorry so... uh, I guess that evens things out?”

His strange logic made her smile despite herself. “I suppose so.”

A moment of awkward silence passed as both of them struggled to figure out what to do next before the boy stuck his hand out and offered her a nervous smile. “My name's Kenny. Kenny Li.”

“Oh. Um.” Okay, this seemed like a good opportunity to test how well she could fit in on Earth – how well she could pretend to be a normal human girl with no superpowers. Besides, he seemed like a nice enough person. She could do this. “Kara,” she introduced herself as she carefully grasped his hand and shook it. “Kara Danvers.”

“So...” he trailed off as he visibly struggled to figure out what to say next. “Looking for any book in particular?”

She blinked at the unexpected question, a little unsure how she was supposed to answer it without revealing that she had only first been introduced to books a few weeks ago. “Um...” She shrugged helplessly and decided to go with the safest possible option. “Not really. Any recommendations?”

“Well... I like astronomy,” he said carefully as if he was afraid she was going to make fun of him for it. “If you're interested, I can suggest a few books you could read?”

She was fairly sure that she already knew everything on that topic that could be found in any book here but saying anything that hinted that would likely raise suspicions so she kept quiet. “Sure, why not?” Who knew, maybe Kara Danvers could have a friend of her own.

 

* * *

 

Mon-El was in the midst of creating something that looked like a cross between an antiquated robot and a purple Thoerk when she showed up in the dream world.

“Oh hey,” he greeted her cheerily as he dismissed his strange construct with a casual wave of his hand. “Look who didn't die after a day of school.”

“Shut up,” Kara retorted as she conjured up a pillow just so she could toss it at his head. “Do you want me to give you the tour or not?”

“See, again with the violence,” he complained theatrically as he chucked the pillow back at her. “But fine. Show me this horrible place you have to attend for the next thousand years of your life.”

She dismissed the construct before it even came close to hitting her. “Don't exaggerate. It's going to feel long enough as it is,” she grumbled as she began recreating the school from memory.

When she finished, his first and only reaction was staring blankly at the building in front of him. “I thought you were going to show me your school. Why are you showing me the slums?”

There was not enough willpower in the world to stop her from rolling her eyes. “It's not the slums. This _is_ the school.”

The blank look remained on his face. “Your school's in the slums?”

“The only reason I'm letting this slide is because I know you're not used to seeing human buildings,” she sighed exasperatedly as she began tugging him by the hand towards the entrance. “By the way, I took your advice and talked to Alex. We made a deal; I won't bother her at school and she's going to try and tolerate me while we're at her house.”

“That's great! Do you think it'll smooth things over between the two of you for good?”

“I honestly don't know. We'll just have to wait and see.” By that point, she'd managed to pull him through the main doors. “Those are the classrooms-” she pointed with her free hand, “-and you won't believe this but we actually have to switch rooms for every class.”

“Sounds chaotic. And inefficient.”

“ _Thank you!_ Oh, behind that door is the chemistry lab. There's nothing much to see inside so we'll just skip it.”

“You're the guide. Before I forget, I have to say that I'm impressed; I was actually expecting you to take a nap during your school hours just to escape here for a while. I'm very proud of you.”

She flushed guiltily. “Um... actually, I wanted to but just didn't have the opportunity to do so...”

“ _Aha!_ ” he crowed triumphantly. “ _I knew it!_ ”

“ _Anyway_ ,” she stressed the word, signalling her unwillingness to hear any more teasing from him about that particular subject, and was satisfied when she saw him hold his free hand up in surrender, “this door leads to the library. It's amazing how many books they have in this place. _Actual physical books_ , Mon-El!”

“Sounds like someone's found her favourite place already,” Mon-El chuckled as he let himself be dragged through yet another doorway.

Kara shrugged. “It's quiet and very few people seem to actually come here so yeah, I can definitely see myself spending a lot of time here. Besides, reading is a good way to learn more about this planet – the only way available to me right now, to be honest, since I haven't had time to learn how to use Earth computers.”

“If you say so- Hey wait.” A tug on her arm told her he'd stopped in his tracks and she turned to find him staring at the very machine she'd been talking about seconds ago. “What's that weird box thing over there?”

A sense of dread suddenly overcame her for some unfathomable reason. “...That's an Earth computer,” she explained slowly.

He stared.

And stared.

Then he doubled over and burst into loud side-splitting laughter, releasing her hand in the process.

“It's not _that_ bad,” she tried to argue even though she knew she didn't sound convincing even to her own ears.

“'Not that bad'?! That thing looks _ancient_ by our standards, Kara!” he pointed out as he jabbed a finger in the direction of the computer, his words punctuated with howls of laughter. “I can't believe- _You're stuck on an extremely primitive planet!_ How is that not hilarious?!”

Being the person who had to live on said 'extremely primitive planet', Kara felt understandably defensive. “They're not that primitive! They have a space exploration programme and they've managed to land on their moon!”

“Oh, their _moon_.” Mon-El tried to suppress his laughter for a moment just so he could give her a faux serious look. “Yes, that's an incredibly big achievement. I'm _so_ impressed.” Then he continued laughing. “Next thing I know, you'll be telling me that they don't have flying vehicles!”

“...They have... planes...” she muttered half-heartedly, hoping he wouldn't read into her statement.

Unfortunately for her, that's exactly what he did. “You mean _some_ of their vehicles can fly but not _all_ of them? Oh, this just got better,” he sniggered.

She growled in frustration as she tried to figure out a way to get him to stop when something Kenny had told her as an aside came to mind and a sly grin slowly formed on her face. “You know, you're right. They _are_ kind of primitive. In fact, some of them are so primitive they think their own planet is flat.”

That put an abrupt end to his laughter. “...You're joking,” he whispered, his voice hoarse from laughter and disbelief.

“Nope.” Her grin widened. “Also, this supposedly flat planet rests on the back of an Earth creature called a turtle.”

“But... But...” he stammered as he mentally scrambled for something to say. “But what would this 'turtle' be standing on in that case?”

“What else? Another turtle. And another. And another. And so on. It's 'turtles all the way down', apparently.”

The look of unparalleled horror on Mon-El's face sent Kara spiralling into her own fit of laughter. “Okay, this isn't funny any more,” he declared authoritatively as he grabbed her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. “Kara, you need to get into your pod and leave Earth _immediately_. Their stupidity could be contagious and I don't want you to take that kind of risk.”

“And where exactly would I go?” she asked, deciding it would be amusing to play along for a while.

“I don't know! It doesn't matter! The important thing is you get as far away from these humans as possible before you become... well, _an idiot_! Like your cousin!”

This one time, she found herself having so much fun that she was willing to let the jab at Kal-El go unpunished. “You're exaggerating,” she waved off his panicked ramblings. “Also, you're being very absurd right now. There's no way I'm going to become dumb just by spending too much time around humans. But if you're that worried, you should probably remember that I spend my sleeping hours here with you. That means by your logic, _you_ get to be the one to safeguard my intelligence, so to speak, by negating whatever idiocy I have to endure in the waking world every single day.”

He blinked as his brain tried to process her attempt at using his own crazy logic against him. “...I'm not sure I can combat that much stupidity on my own,” he replied dubiously.

“Well, _I_ think you can and you don't really have a say in this either way so there. Besides, they're not all that dumb. Some of them are actually smart. Well, by Earth's standards, that is. Like this human boy I ran into – almost literally – today named Kenny. He's pretty knowledgeable about astronomy – again, by Earth's standards – and seems nice too. I think we might actually have become friends? I'll have to ask him tomorrow.”

At that, Mon-El pulled away and put a hand over his heart while giving her a mock-wounded look. “One day at school and you're already finding a real world replacement for me? I'm hurt.”

Kara scowled and tackle-hugged him around the waist. Knowing him, there was very likely a sliver of his true feelings, however small, in that seemingly meaningless joke. “Don't be ridiculous,” she scolded him. “You're my best friend, Mon-El, and nobody can ever replace you in my life. _Nobody._ Don't be an idiot and ever think otherwise. Understood?”

“Right, right,” he chuckled softly as he patted her head. “I apologise for my momentary lapse in sanity and intelligence.”

“Good,” she huffed and released him before grabbing his hand again and dragging him towards the exit. “Now let's get on with the rest of the tour. You're not going to believe what people on this planet consider to be 'sports'...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus quote for the chapter:  
> "Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us." - Calvin and Hobbes
> 
> Seriously though, aliens must look at us and think we're all kinds of crazy/stupid/etc. That's how I feel anyway. >_>


	5. Mischief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belinda the Bully strikes. With a bit of help from Mon-El, Kara strikes back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to anyone and everyone in this fandom who has ever suffered at the hands of a bully.
> 
> Which by this point is practically everyone in this fandom especially if you have a social media account thanks to a certain group of people.
> 
> Also, please do not question me about the science involved and just roll with it, okay?

A strange sense of foreboding overcame Kara out of the blue just as she was starting to eat her lunch. Puzzled, she paused in the middle of taking a bite of her pizza as she attempted to figure out the reason behind it.

“Well, well, well.”

Oh. That would be the reason.

She shut her eyes and prayed to Rao for the patience and calm she did not currently have.

“Look who we have here, girls.”

_Here we go again._

She sighed, put down her pizza and said another quick prayer to Rao before opening her eyes and turning in her seat to face the person who had spoken.

“Hello, Belinda,” she said, barely putting any effort into concealing the disdain in her voice. “To what do I owe the pleasure of being graced with your presence today?”

The school's resident queen bee smirked while her two brainless goons tittered away as they flanked their leader like some insipid royal guard. (She idly wondered what Mon-El would have had to say about that comparison.) “What's the matter, Danvers? Got an issue with just having an innocent conversation with me?”

 _Nothing about you is innocent_ , Kara pointed out bitterly in her head. “Just get to the point and tell me what you want, Belinda,” she said out loud instead, vaguely aware that nearly everyone around them was currently openly staring at their confrontation. At this point, she was willing to consider praying to even the entire Daxamite pantheon despite not knowing all the gods in it – she made a mental side-note to ask Mon-El next time – just to be rid of the brunette girl in front of her.

“Oh, nothing much,” Belinda replied with a smile that made Kara think of honeyed poison. “Just thought I'd do my act of random kindness for the day and check up on one of Midvale's biggest charity cases. While we're on the subject, would you mind reminding me again how you came to live with your adoptive family?”

Her fists clenched so tightly she could feel her nails digging into her palms. _Keep calm, Kara. She's not worth it._ “That's none of your business,” she seethed.

Belinda's eyes widened in a display of false surprise. “It was a harmless question,” she insisted coyly as she pressed a hand to her chest. Her goons tittered again. “Geez, Kara, are you going to take offence to a genuine show of interest in your life? God knows nobody else seems to care about you. Not even Alex, apparently, since she pretends you don't even exist as far as I know.”

“Leave her alone, Belinda.”

The third voice cut off the heated retort that had been on the tip of Kara's tongue and both she and Belinda turned to find none other than Kenny, standing there holding his lunch tray and trying to appear brave even though he clearly looked like he wanted to bolt that very second. Kara found herself unsure what to think of the 'rescue'.

“Oh look, it's another odd duck in the school.” Belinda's fake smile was back on her pretty little face. “I guess it's true what they say about birds of a feather flocking together.” She sighed theatrically. “But fine. I can tell when my attention is unappreciated. Enjoy your meal.”

The next few seconds happened in slow motion for Kara.

Belinda and her zombie posse turned to walk away and Kenny, thinking that the confrontation was over, walked over to where she was sitting... only when he passed Belinda, she stuck her foot out so he tripped. His tray and the food on it went flying in the process but all Kara could focus on was him falling, falling, falling.

She could save him. She had the ability – the powers – to do so.

“You can't use your powers, Kara,” Kal-El's voice echoed endlessly in her head.

She couldn't save him.

All she could do was watch as he fell, knowing that by falling with his arm in that position that he would get hurt. And she couldn't do anything but watch.

“Gaaah!”

“Kenny!” His anguished scream of pain as his full weight pressed down on his wrist at the worst possible angle when he hit the floor broke Kara out of her self-induced inactive state and she scrambled out of her seat to check on him.

“Oh, that looks bad,” she heard Belinda say airily. “You really need to be more careful next time, Li.”

And with that, she was gone.

It was a good thing, a small voice at the back of Kara's head noted, because she didn't know if she could have decided between tending to Kenny and retaliating in some fashion otherwise. With Belinda gone, she could focus on him instead of trying valiantly not to destroy whatever was within reach. Letting her glasses slip down just enough that she could stealthily scan his wrist with her X-ray vision, she was relieved to note that he had not broken any bones. Small mercies and all that.

“How much does it hurt?” she asked him worriedly as she gingerly helped him to his feet.

“On a scale of one to ten? Maybe eleven,” he chuckled weakly, his face contorted in a pained grimace as he tried to laugh it off.

If she had to guess, his wrist was sprained at the very least. Best to ask someone who was actually qualified though. “Come on,” she urged him with a gentle tug on his uninjured arm, “let's get you to the nurse's office.”

Occupied as she was with Kenny's wellbeing, Kara missed the concerned gaze that followed them as they made their way out of the cafeteria.

Thankfully, Ms Marshall was in and immediately ordered him to sit on the bed the moment she laid eyes on them. “Looks like a sprain,” the school nurse murmured as she examined Kenny's wrist. “It's not as bad as it looks but I'm still going to recommend putting it in a cast for a while. For now, let's get some ice on it.”

“See, Kara?” Somehow, Kenny managed to grin despite the obvious pain he was in. “No need to worry so much.”

His reassurances did little to make her feel better. This shouldn't have happened in the first place. If she had been able to use her powers, he wouldn't have gotten hurt.

Her hands clenched again.

“There's nothing to be done except ice the wrist and let the swelling go down. I'll give you a note excusing you from your next class.” Ms Marshall offered Kenny a smile before turning her attention to Kara. “He's in good hands. You can stay if you want but considering the time, I'd suggest you try to make the most of the remainder of recess before you have to go to your next class.”

She didn't want to leave but knew that staying would accomplish little so Kara did as she was told. “Get better soon,” she told Kenny, trying her hardest to muster a smile for his sake before she left. It was for the best, anyway; the longer she stood there looking at the pain Belinda had caused her friend, the madder she got... and the madder she got, the more she felt herself losing control of her powers. As it was, it felt like her heat vision was going to go off any second and if she didn't do something about it _right now_ , she was going to melt something into oblivion and someone at school was going to see it.

So instead of heading back to the cafeteria to finish her lunch, she made her way as quickly as possible to the door that would lead her to an extremely secluded area just outside the main building. She barely spared a moment to check that she was alone and no one was around to disturb her before she sat down on the ground, pulled her glasses off and pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes.

_Breathe, Kara. Breathe._

It wasn't enough. She could still feel the pressure building – could feel her anger over everything bubbling to the surface and struggling to be unleashed. Desperate, she began reciting the Kryptonian meditation chant she recited every night under her breath – the chant she had conditioned herself to relax upon reciting it so that she could fall asleep regardless of what had happened during the day. She thought of an endless field of green, a red sun floating in a cloudless blue sky and a man who possibly knew her better than she knew herself.

As expected, the familiar words coupled with thoughts of the dream world began to slowly but surely relax her. With every verse that passed her lips, she could feel the tension in her body ease and the pressure behind her eyes she associated with a particularly powerful blast of heat vision slowly fade. Her previously harsh breathing evened out and drowsiness began to set in. There was the temptation to give in completely and let sleep claim her even for a while so that she could see Mon-El. Talking to Mon-El always helped and given her current situation, she _really_ needed to talk to him right now-

“Hey.”

The unexpected voice yanked her back to reality and she looked up to find-

“What are _you_ doing here?” she asked, her tone half caustic and half curious.

Alex scowled – her default expression as far as Kara was concerned – but there was genuine concern and possibly a touch of guilt in her eyes. “This is the thanks I get for checking up on you?”

The rejoinder made Kara roll her eyes. “I didn't ask you to check up on me so I'm pretty sure I'm not obligated to feel grateful for the gesture. Besides, the agreement was that you could pretend I didn't exist all you liked at school – something you were very eager to take advantage of, if I remember correctly – so you'll have to excuse me if I'm a little surprised to see you here talking to me right now.”

“Yeah, well, the agreement doesn't say I _have_ to pretend you don't exist,” Alex shot back. “It's my choice whether I want to acknowledge your existence or not so just... shut up, okay?”

“If I shut up, this is going to turn into a one-sided conversation and I don't see how that's much of an improvement over our usual interactions,” Kara pointed out blandly.

Alex growled in frustration and stomped her foot. “ _God!_ Would you just cut it out with the wise-ass comebacks already?! I saw what happened in the cafeteria and I wanted to see if you were okay, all right?!”

“I'm fine. I wasn't the one who got hurt,” Kara muttered bitterly as she turned away.

“...I know,” Alex whispered, and there was a long period of silence as she visibly struggled to think of what to say. “Is he... Is Kenny going to be okay?”

“Yeah. Just a sprain. Nothing broken.”

“Oh. That's good, right?”

“For a relative definition of 'good', yes.”

Silence again.

“What Belinda did... it sucks, okay? But there was nothing you could've done to stop it.”

“I could've used my powers to prevent Kenny from falling at least.”

“You know the rules. Better than me, even, since they apply only to you.”

The angry retort Kara meant to spit out was cut off by the sound of the bell signalling the end of recess and both girls simply stared silently at each other throughout the din. “We should be heading to class,” she muttered instead as she got up and headed back in, carefully sidestepping Alex in the process.

To her relief, Alex didn't try to speak to her again for the remainder of school and Kenny was able to make it to his last few classes for the day.

Even so, his reassurances that he was fine when he caught her eyeing his bandaged hand did little to subdue the anger that flickered back to life when her mind replayed the incident again and again. Neither did the sight of Belinda happily walking around accompanied by her two cultists without sparing a second thought for how her actions earlier in the day had caused someone to get hurt.

It was an uncomfortable realisation for her, learning that despite everything positive she had going for her – Mon-El's continued presence in her life, the stability and genuine care she got from the Danvers and so on –, there was still this... _rage_ deep inside of her that wouldn't go away. Intellectually, she understood that being angry over things she had no say in or control over was unproductive and pointless... but of course the entire problem with emotions was that they were rarely ever logical. Kal-El's insistence that she not use her powers made sense but it still chafed, knowing that she could do something good with them but _couldn't_ simply because it wasn't 'safe' for her to do so. The forced inaction made her feel so incredibly... _helpless_. And that just fed the flames.

She tried to bury it and let reason prevail, she really did, but some days... some days, like today, it was _hard_. As happy as she could be sometimes – when she was with Mon-El, when she was giving St'rki a belly rub, when she was simply reading in quiet solitude –, she knew deep down that the fury was just lurking under the surface like a separate entity, waiting for her to give in. Give in and _just do something_ so that she could stop feeling _so helpless_.

Waiting, waiting.

Always waiting.

Always.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Kara did upon appearing in the dream world was create a large boulder and punch it repeatedly.

To say that Mon-El was alarmed was an understatement.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey! Kara, stop that!” He scrambled to his feet and nearly tripped in his haste to run over and pull her away from the rock and into his arms so that her back was flush against his chest and his arms could cocoon her. Unfortunately for him, the damage had already been done; her knuckles were skinned and bloody so all he could do was cover them with his own hands. Trying his best to ignore the feel of her blood coating his palms, he closed his eyes and focused on reaching out for her mind with his.

In this very moment, he was beyond grateful that they had managed to develop their mental connection to the point that creating a construct together was no longer necessary in order to establish it. Instead, all that was required aside from some effort was physical contact.

“Shh. Calm down, Kara. It's okay. You're okay. Just relax,” he murmured soothingly as he strained to find the golden light in the darkness. As expected, the light was pulsing angrily and erratically when he finally located it, coming across very much like a caged and wounded creature lashing out indiscriminately. He didn't have to think twice before entangling his mind with hers and sending wave after wave of calming thoughts her way through the link. Slowly but surely, the light quietened, her harsh breathing evened out and he felt the tension gradually seep out of her body. Despite this, he continued to hold her, knowing that the questions he had to ask next were likely to upset her again. “What happened?”

“Belinda,” she muttered and there was a spike of anger in her mind when the name left her lips which he quickly worked to temper once more.

That human girl again. Kara had been upset the past few visits ever since this Belinda had decided to start picking on her but she had never been _this_ upset before. Something serious must have happened today to warrant this drastic escalation. “What did she do this time?”

“She hurt Kenny.” Well, that definitely explained the anger. “She hurt Kenny and I couldn't stop her. I couldn't prevent him from getting hurt. All I could do was watch.” Her hands clenched so tightly that it was a struggle to pry them open and entwine his fingers with hers so that she couldn't hurt herself any more. “Why is it all I can do is watch? _Why am I never able to do anything but watch?_ ”

Ah. So this was more than just a human brat making Kara's life miserable. No, this bully's actions and their consequences had only tapped into the real problem: the sense of helplessness that had buried itself deep in her soul since the day she had lost everything – the same sense of helplessness that continued to haunt her to this day in ways both big and small from her lack of freedom to determine her own fate to her inability to use her full name. If anything, being granted powers by Earth's yellow sun but not being allowed to use them had only exacerbated the issue. Having faced the same issue of having the power to do good but being unable to actually do it due to a variety of reasons in his old life as the crown prince of Daxam, he was acutely aware of what she was going through.

That, however, was where the similarities between their situation ended. When faced with the extent of his powerlessness, he had run like the coward that he was – had drowned his awareness of his weakness in drugs, drink and sex so that he didn't have to dwell on just how pointless his life – his very existence – was in the grand scheme of things.

But Kara... Kara was so much stronger and braver than he could ever dream of being. Since the beginning, she had refused to turn away from addressing her pain and suffering directly. Instead, she had acknowledged her feelings and forced herself to confront it all no matter how much it had hurt to do so. Now, when it would have been easier to look the other way and accept things as they were, she was all but torturing herself with thoughts of what she could have done so that things would have turned out differently. While he had chosen to dull his pain to oblivion, she let hers turn into a rage that made her even more determined to find a way to do something about the situation.

Unfortunately, Mon-El knew that this was not a tenable approach in the long run. Sooner or later, she would break under the weight of her own anger and powerlessness... and undoing that damage would take more skill than he believed he had in him. No, he had to do something about it now if he wanted to prevent that from happening.

It just so happened that he knew the perfect way to do just that.

Well, perfect from his perspective anyway.

Now he just had to convince her to go along with it.

“You know,” he said conversationally, “no one will blame you for seeking a way to... even things out a little. Certainly not me anyway.”

He had barely finished speaking before Kara twisted out of his embrace, breaking their mental connection in the process, so that she could look him in the eye. (It was a relief to note that when she pulled her hands free, the wounds on her knuckles were gone and the blood staining both their hands had similarly vanished. That meant that he had at the very least calmed and distracted her to the point that she had stopped focusing on her 'physical' pain long enough for it to disappear.) “I'm _not_ going to hurt Belinda back,” she insisted vehemently. “I refuse to... to... _sink to her level_.”

“I know. I would never suggest that,” he gently chided her for even thinking along those lines. “But there _are_ other ways to... correct her behaviour, shall we say.”

Now he definitely had her attention. “What are you talking about?”

Mon-El let a small grin twist his lips. “I never did teach you about Daxam's justice system, did I?”

Kara frowned, unsure where he was going with this. “No...”

“Well, now seems to be a good time as any for a quick lesson. On Daxam, the perpetrators of certain crimes would be taken to the local town square and subjected to public shaming. The specifics varied depending on the severity of their crimes but the spirit of the punishment was the same. It really seemed to cut down on recidivism, in case you were wondering about its efficiency.”

“You know I'm always glad to learn more about your culture, Mon-El, but I really can't figure out why you're telling me about this right now.”

His grin widened just a little. “Kara, who am I?” he asked.

The non-sequitur took her by surprise and all she could do was stare up at him, her bright blue eyes clearly communicating how lost she was. “...My best friend?” she answered uncertainly.

The grin on his face softened into a genuine smile. “That's a very sweet answer and for the record, yes, I'm your best friend and you're my best friend too. But while it _is_ somewhat relevant to the point I'm trying to make, it's not the main one.”

“What _is_ the main point then?” she huffed in frustration.

“In case you've forgotten, _I_ -” he pressed a hand to his chest and offered her a cocky grin, “-am Prince Mon-El of Daxam, the person who, if you'll excuse a little bragging on my part, successfully planned and carried out some of the most elaborate pranks that Daxam's royal court has ever seen.”

She blinked. “...Are you... Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?”

“That you pull off a masterpiece of a prank on Belinda to put her in her place with some expert help from me? Yes, yes I am.”

Apprehension made her hesitate. “I'm not sure about this...”

“Come on, Kara,” he cajoled her and began pouting for good measure. “You know you want to. Besides, as Alura's daughter, don't you feel like you have an obligation to dispense justice when an offence has been committed before your very eyes and it goes unpunished?”

She gaped openly at him. “Did you just bring up _my mother_ in an effort to convince me to... to _pull a prank on Belinda_?”

“Like I keep telling you, I'm a Daxamite. I'll use whatever dirty trick I have at my disposal in order to achieve my goals. And it won't be just any prank, okay? It'll be a _fantastic_ prank worthy of the reputation I once had. I mean, it's not like we're going to ship that brat off to the Phantom Zone or anything like that so you don't have to worry too much. So what do you say?”

Her internal struggle played out on her face like an epic battle. “...She won't get hurt?”

“Not physically, no. Only her pride, I promise. It'll just be... a little harmless public humiliation.”

“That... doesn't sound harmless. At all.”

“My pranks may have caused some property damage every now and then but nobody ever got hurt. You know I would never lie to you, Kara. Not about anything to do with my past and certainly not about this.”

“...I know.”

“You still haven't given me an answer,” he prodded her.

A long silence ensued, but looking into her eyes, Mon-El could tell the exact moment she caved. “...You're a terrible influence on me,” she complained.

“That wasn't a no.”

“...No, it wasn't,” she admitted grudgingly.

“...So...”

“...Fine.” Kara drew a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Let's do this. Where do we begin?”

His grin was so wide it actually hurt. “First, we gather data. Tell me everything you know about her. Especially her routine; that's the most valuable piece of information. Then... Then, we make plans.”

 

* * *

 

For the next few days, Kara studied Belinda as if the girl was the most fascinating thing in the entire universe and took note of everything from her routines to her favourite hangout spots. At the same time, she began cataloguing everything that could be used in some way to execute whatever crazy prank Mon-El eventually proposed.

It wasn't as if she didn't have reservations about this course of action, however. Every morning upon arriving at school, Kara found her desire to bring Belinda down a peg or two diminish in the face of her uncertainty over the appropriateness of doing what they planned to do. As the human saying went, 'two wrongs don't make a right'.

But then Belinda would do something to remind Kara just how much of a horrible person she was.

Like making fun of a girl for her mousy looks until she ran crying to the bathroom and wouldn't come out for the rest of the day.

'Accidentally' spilling her strawberry juice on a junior walking past her table during recess.

Loudly commenting about how 'burdensome' it was sometimes to have so much money when she was within earshot of a less fortunate student.

Every single time Belinda showcased her particular brand of meanness, Kara's resolve hardened and she went to sleep that night more than eager to tell Mon-El everything he might need to know to come up with a prank he promised would be more than memorable.

Those first few nights, the two of them would make all kinds of suggestions for what the prank would ultimately be. What felt like a hundred different possible options were voiced and subsequently discarded for a variety of reasons. Too complicated. Not complicated enough. Too much collateral damage. Risk of causing property damage or physical harm. Too much room for error. Not enough impact. (“Really, Mon-El?” “A good prank has to make a grand statement, okay?” “Whatever you say...”)

Once they had finalised the details of the prank, it was time to actually prepare everything she would need to carry it out. Armed with a list and a decent chunk of her savings, she bought what she could and pilfered what she had to. (“I can't believe this. I stole something. I _stole_ something. _You've turned me into a criminal._ ” “It's not stealing; it's... borrowing.” “Borrowing implies I'm going to give it back. Which I'm not going to do. _Because I can't return evidence of a crime for obvious reasons_.” “Well, just remember that it's for a good cause. Besides, you've come this far; you're not going to give up at this point, are you?” “...I think I hate you right now.”)

Several more days passed like this with her waking hours spent getting everything together and her nights running simulation after simulation with Mon-El in the dream world to make sure that things would turn out exactly the way they intended.

One week after the incident that had started all this, Kara snuck out of the Danvers residence in the middle of the night to set everything up after first making sure that everyone else was fast asleep. Despite the late hour, she resisted the urge to fly or even use her super speed to get to the school just in case someone else in Midvale might be awake and end up seeing her. Thankfully, she'd memorised the shortest and most hidden route possible she could take to reach her destination and managed to give herself more than enough time to do what she needed and head back.

“Where the hell did you go?”

The unexpected exclamation made Kara freeze in the middle of climbing back in through the window and she looked up to find none other than Alex glaring at her with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

“None of your business, Alex,” Kara responded bluntly as she clambered inside and went about changing into her pyjamas.

“Like hell it isn't!” Alex hissed. “If Mom and Dad find out about this, _I'm_ going to pay the price, not you!”

“They won't find out unless you tell them,” Kara pointed out flatly. “Look, Alex...” A heavy sigh escaped her as she struggled to figure out what to say. They had been so focused on getting everything right that neither of them had spared a moment to come up with solutions for potential outside problems such as this. “I'd consider it a favour if you didn't tell your parents. I'll owe you, okay? And as for where I went tonight, the less you know, the better. Just trust me on that.”

“Well, excuse me if I have trouble believing that,” Alex muttered under her breath but seemed to decide that it was in her best interests to leave it at that as she crawled back into her bed without saying another word.

Kara let out another heavy sigh but simply climbed into her own bed and began reciting her meditation chant like usual. There was nothing she could do about Alex so she was just going to have to pray that the girl didn't find a way to interfere with the plan.

 

* * *

 

“I think Alex suspects something.”

“Why would you say that?”

“She caught me coming back into the house through the window just now. I evaded her questions but she definitely knows something is up.”

“Do you think she'll figure it out?”

“I honestly don't know.”

“...Are you not going to go through with it?”

“...I don't know.”

“It's ultimately your decision, Kara. I want you to know that.”

“I know. Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” A pause. “So... what do you want to do now?”

“...Let's do a few more test runs. Just in case. I'll decide tomorrow.”

“Okay. Go ahead and get into position while I create the school...”

 

* * *

 

This was it. The moment of truth.

She was sitting exactly where she was supposed to in order to pull off the prank. The only thing left was to wait for the right moment to act.

Kara pulled out the small pebble she had prepared beforehand and placed it on the table, all the while pointedly ignoring the feeling that someone was staring very intently at her. It had to be Alex, no doubt about it. If she had to be honest, it was unnerving her a little and she was beginning to seriously second-guess herself and her motivations right now.

Then Belinda arrived, flanked as usual by her zombie posse, and it was time to make a decision.

_Last chance to back out. Or postpone it to tomorrow. Or the next week. Or the next year._

But today... today was special. If there was ever a day to stop feeling so helpless and prove to herself that she could do something no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, today was that day.

Mind made up, she flicked the pebble and kicked off the chain reaction.

Exactly three seconds later, ten different colours of indelible ink shot out of their respective canisters which had been craftily hidden in the ground and hit the three girls at full blast from head to toe.

When everything was over – the screaming included –, the three girls looked like walking Picasso paintings.

She should feel terrible about this. Especially when everyone started pointing and laughing. And those who had their phones began taking pictures.

A smile formed on her face nevertheless. “I'm a horrible, horrible person,” she murmured to herself.

“That was your doing, wasn't it?”

The smile slipped off her face and Kara looked in the direction of the voice. Just as she expected, Alex was standing there with her arms crossed eyeing her critically. _Grife_ , she thought to herself then mentally smacked herself for cursing. Mon-El really was a terrible influence on her. “What was my doing?” Kara responded evasively.

One of Alex's eyebrows arched. “Don't play dumb, Kara. _That._ ” She nodded in the direction of Belinda and her goons who were struggling to both hide and run away from the jeering crowd that kept growing by the second. “That's what you snuck out of the house last night to do, wasn't it?”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Kara lied, hoping against hope that Alex believed her.

The corners of Alex's lips curled upwards. “Did you know that your brow crinkles when you lie?” she asked with a smirk.

“W-What?” Kara was beyond stunned. How did Alex know about her tell? “Th-That's not- I'm not-”

“Save it, Kara. You're a terrible liar. Word of advice: Don't play poker when you're old enough to do so,” Alex waved off her excuses.

A sense of dread coupled with fear slowly started to creep up on Kara. The entire prank had been designed in such a way that no one would be able to trace it back to her... but Alex could render all that effort moot. “...Are you going to tell on me?” she asked warily.

To her surprise, Alex merely shrugged. “Belinda had it coming. Besides, our agreement was that I could pretend you didn't exist at school, right? How am I supposed to tell on someone who doesn't exist as far as I'm concerned?”

Kara blinked. And then she blinked again. “Um... thanks?”

The usual scowl suddenly made its return. “This doesn't mean I like you, okay?” Alex insisted. “Don't you dare misunderstand me like that.”

A small smile tugged at Kara's lips even as she fought the urge to roll her eyes. “The thought never crossed my mind.”

 

* * *

 

Mon-El fell on his back as he roared in laughter at the sight of the constructs of Belinda and her followers getting drenched in torrents of multi-coloured indelible ink. “Again! Again!”

“That's the sixth time you've asked me to replay it,” Kara complained although she was clearly enjoying herself as well. “Don't you think that's enough?”

“Oh, come on, Kara. I couldn't see the real thing myself so this is the least you could do for me. On that note, remind me again how long it's going to take for the ink to wear off?”

“A whole week, give or take a day.”

“ _Excellent._ ”

“Alex figured it out, by the way. That I was the one who did it.”

“Oh. ...Are you expecting her to make trouble for you because of this?”

“No, actually. She said she wouldn't tell anyone and didn't even try to get something from me in return for keeping quiet.”

“That's really nice of her.”

“Yeah. I guess there might be a real chance for us to get along properly someday. And... um... she knows. About my crinkle.”

“Wow. So either she's been paying you a _lot_ of attention without you noticing or you're just that bad a liar.”

“I don't know which of those options is supposed to be more comforting...”

“By the way... I have to ask...”

“Hmm?”

He turned to eye her carefully. “What convinced you to go through with it? You were pretty hesitant about it during your last visit. And I know it was more than just the Alex thing that was weighing on your mind.”

“I... Well, I thought I'd... do something noteworthy. Since it's... um...” She looked down at her hands and fidgeted. “It's my birthday today.”

He blinked in surprise. “Really?”

She nodded hesitantly. “I did the calculations and lined up my planet's calendar with Earth's. Even triple-checked just to be sure.” A soft self-depreciating chuckle escaped her. “I turned thirteen today. After twenty-five years of being twelve years old, that is.”

“Well then. Time in stasis aside, happy thirteenth birthday, Kara.” He offered her a warm smile. “Come here and close your eyes.”

She did as she was told, shuffling closer to him until their sides were pressed against each other, and when she was asked to open them again she found herself being presented with a familiar light blue flower with five delicate petals. “This is...”

“I believe it's customary to give a maejlis flower to anyone on Krypton who happens to be celebrating their birthday, correct? Since it means-”

“-'a long and happy life',” she finished as she continued to stare at the flower that, as far as she knew, used to grow only in their corner of the galaxy.

“Right. Well, I know it's just a construct that's going to fade eventually and you can't take it with you to the real world when you wake up but it's the best I can do so... sorry,” Mon-El mumbled as he scratched his jaw nervously with his free hand.

Kara tried her best to blink away the tears that were clouding her vision as she accepted the gift and cradled it in her hands like it was the most precious thing in the universe. “Don't be. It's very... It means a lot. Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” His smile shifted into his trademark grin. “Since we're on the subject, we should probably address the other significant tradition associated with your thirteenth birthday.”

Tearing her eyes away from the flower she was holding to look up at him, she was momentarily confused as she struggled to figure out what he was talking about before realisation dawned on her. “You mean...”

“Your Guild Test,” he clarified, and something in the gentle teasing tone of his voice told her he was rebuking her ever so slightly for thinking he would forget about that. “I won't claim to know what it was actually like but since there's no one around to lecture me on how it's supposed to be done, I'm going to take that-” he pointed at the frozen ink-splattered constructs in front of them, “-as your test. Which you passed with... _flying colours_ , I would say.”

She groaned at the terrible pun.

“Anyway, what I'm saying is... congratulations, and welcome to the newly-formed Prankster Guild. As I am its founder, I guess that makes me your mentor by default,” he finished with a grin.

“Why do I feel like this isn't going to end well for me?” she asked wearily.

“You're imagining things,” he insisted, his voice full of false reassurance. “Now, as your mentor I'm requesting that you replay the recreation so that I can once again enjoy the results of my new student's hard work. Which, I have to say, is a spectacular birthday gift to give yourself.” (He gave no indication that the knew anything about the underlying motivations that had ultimately driven her to pull off the prank and she decided not to ask.)

“See, there you go making me regret this already,” she sighed but did as he asked anyway... and if she happened to laugh along with him every single time she recreated the event, he was nice enough not to comment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, this chapter felt a bit messy to me because of the amount of introspection and feelings both positive and negative in it which decided to kind of zigzag all over the place. The ending itself got rewritten about five times(!) because I couldn't figure out what was the right note to end it on. Basically what I'm saying is please go easy on me this round and I hope you enjoyed the chapter anyway?


	6. Retrospection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara marks the one-year anniversary of her arrival on Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should apologise for the previous chapter since it seemed to herald a massive increase in activity from a certain group of people thanks to the ammunition last week's episode gave them... You're welcome to reread it for the catharsis factor? 
> 
> About the chapter itself: Jumbled mess of emotions incoming. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Following the Picasso Prank as Kara later dubbed it, there was a blissful Belinda-free week of school during which it seemed like all was right with the world. No one managed to quite figure out who had pulled the prank much less how it had even been accomplished – not particularly surprising, after all, considering the fact that successfully getting away with it had been part of the plan – and Alex kept her word about not pointing her finger in Kara's direction. Life at school was... well, bearable.

Then the personification of evil returned with a vengeance, seemingly even worse than before to the point that she even yelled at her loyal minions over the smallest things even though they themselves had suffered the same fate. The simplest explanation for this behaviour was that she was determined to make everyone suffer since the culprit had not been identified; if she tormented every single student at school, she would eventually end up getting back at the actual prankster one day.

Of course, Kara had no way of being sure if this was what Belinda was thinking but she felt like it was pretty consistent with what she knew about the girl. In fact, she probably didn't even understand why someone would do something like that to her – couldn't comprehend that it was her own atrocious behaviour which had led to her being targeted by the prank.

Which was why this time, she had zero qualms about asking Mon-El to help her mastermind another prank.

Mon-El was only too happy to oblige, and so the Prankster Guild began work once more.

The one thing that she insisted on this round, however, was that Belinda's cronies be spared. Judging by their facial expressions, they had definitely been humbled by the first prank and were re-evaluating their decision to follow Belinda. Her best guess was that they were only still sticking with the she-demon because they didn't know how to do anything else. If that was the case, it was reasonable to assume that they would reform themselves once they were removed from Belinda's sphere of influence.

At least, that was what she hoped would happen.

(“Well, if they relapse, you'll tell me right?” “...I feel like I should be disturbed by how willing I am to do just that. And how willing I am to go through with what happens after.” “...But you're not.” “...I'm not going to answer that.”)

Approximately one week later, the mysterious prankster of Midvale High School struck again and Belinda ended up with heaps of multi-coloured feathers stuck in her hair thanks to quick-drying glue as well as a second full-body shower of indelible ink. She had two options: either continue coming to school looking like a walking bird's nest sitting on top of an exploded paint factory until her hair grew out and let everything fall out naturally... or shave her head bald.

By the time Belinda came back to school, she had developed a sudden love for fancy hats. And relative anonymity.

Kara considered it a win.

Of course, that was when some other girls noticed the power vacuum in the school hierarchy and began fighting for the now open position of queen bee of Midvale High School.

She... had not been prepared for that to say the least.

(“These human girls are starting to remind me a lot of the antics of Daxam's noble houses. Not that any of them could fight for the throne, I mean, but the principle is the same.” “I'm really starting to see why you didn't want to be the prince if this is what you would have had to deal with every single day once you had ascended the throne...”)

Nevertheless, that was the situation so the Prankster Guild went back to work and after a series of equally creative pranks, everyone finally got the message: Be nice... or else.

Relative peace ensued. Kara was satisfied. It definitely felt good to be able to make a positive change in the world even if said change was limited to her school environment. More than that, she'd accomplished it without relying on the powers Earth's yellow sun granted her. All she had relied on – all she had needed – was some help from Mon-El.

Additionally, she didn't have to worry about being caught since no one so much as brought up her name when debating who the culprit could be. Not even Kenny. (Eliza and Jeremiah never indicated that they suspected anything although Kara did at one point catch them eyeing her rather meaningfully after news of yet another one of her pranks reached their ears.)

Meanwhile, Alex continued to keep her silence to the point of not even bothering to say anything when Kara snuck out and came back in the middle of the night every time she had to go set up one of her pranks. In fact, over time the girl actually became genuinely... well, nicer. Her tone wasn't always caustic and sometimes she even forgot to scowl. There was even one morning where, instead of stomping her way to the bathroom like usual, she had come over to Kara's side of the room and asked if she wanted to use it first.

Unfortunately, Kara had been so surprised by the gesture that her only response had been to ask Alex if she was feeling feverish.

Alex didn't talk to her for an entire week after that.

When the Danvers girl was finally willing to acknowledge her existence again, Kara delivered a long and heartfelt apology which was fortunately accepted albeit a little grumpily. She supposed she couldn't really fault Alex for that.

Aside from a few other similar bumps in the road, Kara felt like it was safe to say that their relationship was improving little by little.

It was... nice.

One month passed. And another. And so on.

Then one morning, Kara woke up, looked at the calendar and realised with a start that it had been a whole year since she had first landed on Earth.

Staring blankly at the date, she felt time grind to a halt as the numbness set in all of a sudden.

One year. One full year.

“Kara.” The sound of Alex's voice jolted her back to reality and Kara turned to find the girl standing in the room all ready for school. “I'm done with the bathroom. It's your turn.”

“Oh. Um. Thanks,” Kara mumbled dazedly as she crawled out of bed, still mindful enough of her surroundings to be careful not to disturb St'rki who had decided to go back to sleep, and slowly made her way to the door.

“Hey,” Alex spoke up once again just as Kara was almost through the doorway, and there was no mistaking the look on her face as anything but concern. “Are you... okay? You seem a little... well, off today.”

_I've been here for a year_ , her mind supplied but the words did not leave her lips. “It's nothing,” Kara found herself saying instead. “Just... thinking about something.” Then she quickly vanished into the bathroom before Alex could say anything else.

_A whole year._

The thought echoed in her head endlessly as she washed up, changed, went down to eat a breakfast she barely tasted – a travesty on any given day – and began walking to school.

_I've been on Earth for a year._

“-ra! Hey Kara!”

Someone appeared out of nowhere in front of her and she barely stopped herself in time from knocking them down like a bowling pin. Due to her dazed state and the unexpected surprise, it took her a few seconds to recognise the person standing before her.

“Kenny!” She pressed a hand over her racing heart. “You startled me!”

“I called your name like ten times,” he laughed. “Are you that happy to be celebrating your birthday today?”

The bizarre question threw her for a loop. “What?”

One of his eyebrows arched. “Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday?”

_But it's not my birthday_ , she wanted to blurt out – it was true, after all – but caught herself in time. She didn't know what day the Danvers or Kal-El had given as her birthday when they had created her Kara Danvers identity; for all she knew, today was that very day. “No, it's just... How did you know?” she asked instead. “I don't remember ever telling you.”

“Alex told me, actually. Well, texted me to be exact.” He pulled out his phone and began checking it. “About one week ago, I think? ...Yep, one week ago. Told me that I might want to know since we were friends and all that.”

She blinked. “That was... nice of her,” she replied slowly. Although it would have been nicer if someone had told _her_ first...

“You actually have a pretty cool sister, you know,” he chuckled as he tucked his phone back into his pocket and they both resumed walking to school side by side. “Scary as hell when she's mad, sure, but that kind of makes her even cooler in a way?”

There were some aspects of human logic, Kara thought to herself, that she was never going to really understand even if she lived for a thousand years. “I guess? I mean, we didn't get along at all at the start and I wouldn't say we're close right now but... she's not that bad.”

“Remind me to thank her later for the heads up either way.” With that, he pulled out a wrapped package and handed it to her. “Here, I got you a present.”

“O-Oh, um, thank you,” she stuttered as she awkwardly accepted the gift. “Uh... do I open it now or...?”

Kenny shrugged but his smile seemed a little nervous and his posture was somewhat stiff for some reason. “Well, it's your birthday gift so it's your decision...”

She stopped in her tracks, indirectly forcing him to stop as well, and glanced between him and the present in her hands. “Are you... Do you want me to open it now?”

“It's your choice,” he insisted quickly. “I'm not scared you won't like it or anything like that.”

“Yeah, that was totally believable,” she laughed. “And Alex says _I'm_ a terrible liar. Fine, I'll open it now and put you out of your misery.” As it was Kenny, she was naturally unsurprised to find a book on astronomy by someone named Carl Sagan once she had removed the wrapping.

“It's a classic,” he explained as he tried to gauge her reaction. (It probably didn't help that she was privately wondering if she was supposed to know this Sagan person.) “Probably a bit advanced for beginners but... uh, yeah.”

_Oh, if only you knew_ , she thought to herself distantly as she stared at the book in her hands. “Thank you. I'll read it when I have the time.” Judging by the smile on Kenny's face, she'd said the right thing. “Okay, now that I've reassured you that I like your present, can we get going? Unless you want me to be late to school on my birthday.”

At that, he looked down at his watch and his smile vanished immediately. “Oh god, you're right. We have to run. Come on!” Then he dashed ahead.

Kara let him run off without her; with her near-limitless endurance levels and her knowledge of some incredibly handy shortcuts, she would have no trouble making it to school on time. It was probably a good thing he'd left her behind anyway, considering the fact that his gift had only reminded her of her realisation earlier that morning and what that meant. She didn't want him to think her downcast expression had anything to do with him.

_One whole year._

The thought continued to echo endlessly in her head.

 

* * *

 

School passed by in a blur with her barely listening to the teachers and before she knew it she and Alex were already on their way back to the Danvers residence.

“We're ba- oh.”

At the sound of her voice, Kal-El who had already been looking at the front door when she'd stepped inside the house – he'd no doubt used his enhanced hearing to figure out the exact moment she would arrive – offered her a smile. “Hey, Kara. It's been a while.”

“Hi, Clark,” she replied slowly as she tried to get some answers by studying Eliza's and Jeremiah's faces. “Um... I don't mean to sound rude but... why are you here? Did something happen?”

“Oh, no, it's not anything serious,” Kal-El quickly reassured her. “Well, not _bad_ serious-”

“He's here to celebrate your birthday,” Alex cut him off with a roll of her eyes, clearly fed up with all the pseudo-secrecy going around. “I'm not sure if you've noticed but it's been a year since the day you arrived. Which, by the way, was the day Mom, Dad and your cousin over here listed as your birthday on all your official documents.”

“Considering it's supposed to be _my_ 'birthday', did no one think to inform _me_ of it before this?” Kara asked with a raised eyebrow.

All the adults in the room laughed rather sheepishly. “Well, if you remember, things were a little hectic at the start and in our efforts to give you some space so that you could adjust to life with us at your own pace, we may have forgotten to tell you,” Jeremiah explained while sporting a contrite expression. “That's on us and we apologise for that.”

“It's fine,” Kara said with a shake of her head. “I understand. So... um...” Her gaze bounced between everyone present in the living room. “Again, I don't mean to be rude but... is there a plan or something to do anything besides stand around?”

Her question seemed to suck any awkwardness that was present in the air because as if on cue, everyone – aside from Alex who just rolled her eyes again – let out a genuine laugh and relaxed. “Yes, yes there is,” Eliza answered her with a warm smile. “I know it's probably not your real birthday but we wanted to celebrate the anniversary of your arrival on Earth and in our lives. We want you to know that we care about you and we're very glad to have you as a member of this family.”

Warmth bloomed in her heart as a genuine smile formed on Kara's face. “Thank you, everyone.”

“Well then,” Jeremiah said with a clap of his hands. “How about you girls put your school things away and get washed up so we can have an early dinner and then get this birthday party started? There's cake – chocolate, naturally – _and_ chocolate pecan pie for dessert.”

Okay, _now_ she was really interested in celebrating this Earth birthday of hers.

Despite her excitement, she made sure not to rush upstairs so that she could talk to Alex who was putting on a show of wanting to be anywhere else even though the human girl was doing as she was told. “Thank you too, Alex.”

“Oh, shut up,” Alex grumbled. “I didn't do anything.”

“You told Kenny. You didn't have to.”

“I just thought he would like to know, okay? Besides, it's just a stupid text message. Don't make a big deal out of it.”

Her lips twitched and Kara was glad Alex couldn't see her face. “All right. If that's what you want.”

Alex decided to stop abruptly just as they entered their room, prompting Kara to halt in her tracks, and spun on her heels so that they were face to face. The resolute look on the girl's face told Kara that they were about to have a serious discussion so she kept quiet and let Alex speak.

“Okay, look,” Alex started after a short pause during which she was likely mentally going through a speech she had prepared beforehand, “I know we didn't start off on the best of terms-”

“Understatement of the century,” Kara commented dryly and then held her hands up in surrender when that made Alex shoot her a death glare.

“ _As I was saying..._ ” Alex ground out, “we didn't get along when you first arrived but I think it's safe to say that things have improved since then.”

“I guess we _are_ somewhat having a civil conversation right now,” Kara conceded.

“Right. Well.” Alex took a deep breath before continuing. “I want to try and improve things between us even more.”

That... had been unexpected, to say the least. “...Uh, could you repeat that please?”

Alex scowled. “You heard me clearly the first time.”

“Yes, well, forgive me if I find myself questioning if my enhanced hearing has betrayed me because I have a hard time believing the words that just came out of your mouth.”

“Do you really have to rub your powers in my face every single chance you get?”

“I'm just stating the truth. Also, I think we're getting off-topic.”

“No thanks to _you_.”

“Fine. I'm sorry. You were saying something about wanting to improve things between us? What exactly are you suggesting?”

Alex shot her another incensed look but decided to take the moral high ground. “I want... to renegotiate that deal we made on your first day of school. I mean... I wouldn't mind _not_ pretending you don't exist while we're at school.”

“...Which means...”

Massaging a temple with one free hand, Alex was the very picture of frustration. If Kara had to guess, the girl wasn't one to talk about her feelings unless they involved yelling. “Look, I don't think you're a nuisance – most of the time, anyway-”

“Gee, thanks,” Kara muttered sarcastically but her comment was ignored.

“-and I think that if we both tried, we could actually get along. You know, properly,” Alex finished.

“...I wouldn't mind that,” Kara replied slowly.

“So we have a deal then? A new one, I mean.”

“Deal.”

This time, Kara was the one who stuck her hand out first and they both shook hands without further incident.

“Just for the sake of clarification,” Kara found herself asking when they ended the handshake, “what exactly do you suggest we could do to... well, accomplish this? As far as I know, we don't really like the same things. At all, in fact.”

“...Well, we could tutor each other or something, I guess?” Alex threw the idea out for consideration. “I mean, I know you're actually a lot better at calculus than you pretend to be at school.”

“I'm not supposed to stand out, remember?” Kara pointed out.

“Yeah, well, I could use some help with that. If you don't mind, I mean. In return, I could tutor you in one of the subjects you're actually weak at.”

“Pfft. I do _not_ need help-”

“Says the girl who answered 'Isaiah Washington' in History the other day.”

“It's not my fault you humans have weird names that are hard to remember!”

“Our names aren't 'weird'! And 'Isaiah' doesn't even _sound_ anything like 'George'!”

“Well, ex _cuse_ me if they all sound the same to me-”

“Girls!” Eliza's voice called out from downstairs, putting an end to their conversation in the process. “You've been up there for ages! Come down already if you've washed up!”

“Coming!” they chorused before locking gazes once again.

“Truce?” Kara suggested. “In the name of cake and chocolate pecan pie.”

Alex shrugged casually but the corners of her lips were visibly twitching. “Works for me.”

Neither of them saw any need to shake hands again.

 

* * *

 

Shortly after the party was over and the presents had been opened – Eliza and Jeremiah insisted that as the birthday girl, she didn't need to help with the clean-up –, Kal-El pulled Kara aside. Judging by the look on his face, it seemed like she was in for another potentially serious conversation.

“Listen, I hope you don't mind but I asked a couple of my friends to call you.” He paused. “Well, I asked one friend and the other one is going to be present by default. Anyway, I know I should've asked you first if you were all right with this arrangement but... I feel like the two of you should probably talk.”

She blinked. “Talk? About what?”

“You'll understand when he calls,” he said mysteriously. “For the record, he has been kind of interested in speaking to you since I first told him about you.” He paused again. “Well, both of them. I think nearly everything I tell him reaches her ears in the end...”

His strange behaviour was admittedly confusing but she didn't see any reason to refuse. “That's fine. When will they be calling?”

He checked his watch. “In a few minutes. Here, I'll lend you my phone since he'll be calling my number. You... might want to find somewhere quiet like the garage. I'll tell everyone not to look for you.”

Admittedly curious, she did as she was told but once she was alone again, thoughts of what today really meant to her came creeping back to the forefront of her mind and her good mood from earlier faded away.

A whole year.

A whole year since she'd begun drifting in and out of the dream world... drifting in and out of Mon-El's life... and tomorrow night, it would be a year since she'd-

The phone in her hands rang, startling her out of her thoughts, and she looked at the screen to find the name 'Bruce' flashing on it.

Kara suddenly found herself a little unsure if she should answer the call considering the fact that she had no idea what Kal-El had told this Bruce person about her but realised it would be rather rude to not pick up. “...Hello?” she said once she pressed the 'Answer' button and pressed the phone to her ear.

“Good evening,” a gruff business-like male voice said. “Am I speaking to Kara Danvers?”

There was this weird feeling like she was about to be lectured very sternly about something or other for some unfathomable reason. “...Um, yes?”

“I understand today is your birthday so allow me to first convey my well wishes-”

“Oh my _god_ , Bruce!” a woman's exasperated voice suddenly cut in from the other end of the line. “Just say 'Happy birthday' like a normal person. It won't kill you to not speak like a robot every now and then.”

“Selina, you're not even supposed to be here,” Bruce sighed resignedly.

“Pfft. Did you really think I was going to stay away the moment I heard you and Clark were arranging this phone call? Or that you were going to be able to keep me away? _Please._ Hi. Kara, was it? Selina Kyle here. I've been _super_ excited to meet you since your cousin first mentioned you.”

“...Was the pun _really_ necessary?”

Kara blinked, unsure exactly what in the world she'd gotten herself into simply by virtue of agreeing to take a call. “Um... do the two of you want me to hang up so you can talk?”

“No,” Bruce replied quickly. “Selina, please.”

“Fine, I get the message loud and clear. This is going to be boring if you insist on being your stuffy self anyway,” Selina huffed. Then Kara heard the woman whisper to Bruce so softly that she was sure she wouldn't have been able to hear it if not for her enhanced hearing... which likely meant she wasn't supposed to have heard it. “Try not to be so formal. The girl doesn't need that and the conversation's going to be serious enough as it is.”

Silence reigned on both sides of the call for a while before Bruce cleared his throat. “Do you know who I am, Kara?”

“...My cousin's friend?” she replied carefully, uncertain as to where her mysterious caller was going with this. “I'm sorry, he didn't really explain anything because he said you would make things clear.”

There was a sigh before he spoke again. “My name is Bruce Wayne. Your cousin and I... work together, you could say. But that's not why I wanted to speak to you.”

“Then what-”

“I understand that you were twelve when your home planet exploded. Unlike Clark who left when he was a baby.”

Oh. This was going to be _that_ kind of conversation. “...Yes.”

“I... It may not be the same thing but... I lost my parents when I was twelve. They were... murdered in front of me.”

She had expected empty words of sympathy. Not... this. “I... I'm sorry to hear that.”

“What I'm trying to say is... if you ever want someone to talk to about... anything, I'll ask Clark to give you the number for my private line. It's completely secure so you won't have to worry about anyone listening in and overhearing anything they're not supposed to such as your real identity.”

“That's... um, thank you. That's very kind of you.”

“It's nothing. You're Clark's cousin, after all... but more than that, you're... you've been through a lot.” _We have similar scars._ The sentiment went unsaid but Kara felt it all the same. “It helps to have people to talk to when... when things get rough. Take it from someone who tried everything else.”

Unbidden, the thought of Mon-El floated to the surface, bringing with it an ache that bloomed in her chest. “I know. Thank you again.”

“You're welcome. I-” There was a sudden pause and when Bruce spoke again, his voice was rougher than before. “I apologise, I'm needed elsewhere. We can continue this conversation another time if you'd like.”

“Um, sure,” she replied as she idly wondered what sort of emergency had popped up on the other side of the line. Whatever it was, it sounded serious. “I'll ask Clark to give me your number. And... um, I'll talk to you another day then?”

“I'll always do my best to be available. Goodnight, Kara, and happy birthday again.”

“Goodnight and thank you.”

A click signalled the end of the call but even after she'd put the phone down, Kara made no move to go back into the house. Instead, she walked over to the back and pulled off the tarpaulin covering the object hidden there: her pod. Her mind drifted as she trailed her fingers along its smooth surface, past memories and future possibilities jumbling into one giant mess.

A whole year.

“Kara?”

She turned to find Kal-El looking at her from where he stood at the door connecting the garage to the rest of the house, his brow creased with concern. “Is everything okay? How did the call go?” His frown deepened. “Bruce didn't say anything that upset you, did he? I know he can be bit... well, difficult to get along with-”

“It went fine,” she cut him off with a small smile as she handed his phone back to him. “He said to ask you to give me his number in case I ever want to talk to him in the future.”

“That's... That's great!” The look of surprise on his face was quickly replaced with one of genuine happiness. “I'll text it to you right now before I forget.” A glance at his phone made him wince, however. “Damn it. I better get back to Metropolis after this; I haven't finished my article and it needs to be done by midnight.”

“That's okay. Thank you for coming. You didn't have to.”

He blinked, clearly surprised by her response. “Of course I had to. You're my cousin after all.” The hug that followed was expected but still welcome. “I know I'm not always here for you but I want you to know that I care.”

“I know,” she murmured as she hugged him back. After she saw him off along with the Danvers, Eliza and Jeremiah sent her and Alex off to bed with a gentle reminder that they still had school tomorrow. Alex took the less-than-subtle nudge in stride and before long was fast asleep in her own bed.

Despite having the desire to do the same, Kara resisted the urge to sleep even though it meant delaying her return to the dream world – something which filled her with guilt for a variety of reasons. Instead, she pulled out a nondescript notebook from its hiding place under her bed and clambered out the window to sit on the roof. Before she could do anything else, however, a meow from the window she'd climbed out of seconds ago heralded St'rki's arrival and she turned to find her cat eyeing her as if he was asking why she wasn't asleep yet.

“What, you're the only one allowed to be nocturnal?” she asked bemusedly as the feline came over to where she was sitting and curled up at her side. She spared a moment to scratch him behind his ears before she let him be and turned her attention back to the notebook in her lap and flipped it open to the first page where she had written a very specific list.

The Phantom Zone. The Sea of the Dead. The Well of Stars. Orbiting any of the black holes in the universe. (She didn't particularly like that option for obvious reasons.)

So many possibilities.

She kept flipping, her eyes scanning the sketches and words she had written in a mixture of Kryptonian and Daxamite on every page. Map after map of half-remembered galaxies and solar systems. Calculations. Alternate theories. Everything she could remember and think of that might help her figure out where Mon-El's shuttle could be.

One day short of a whole year since she had taken the Sacred Oath and this was all she'd managed to accomplish in the moments where she did not have to live Kara Danvers' life. No matter how smart she was, it did not make up for the fact that her lessons had hardly involved mapping out the universe by hand. Such a skill had had little value back on Krypton since their computers were so advanced that even the simplest vehicle such as her pod had coordinates for nearly every known planet stored inside its mainframe. If she had the technical knowledge, she could have extracted it... but she had only been twelve when she had left Krypton. Something like that was beyond her capabilities.

All she could do... was _this_.

It was slowly starting to sink in just how difficult it was going to be for her to save him. How _long_ it was likely going to take her.

Looking up at the stars shining down on her, she began to despair despite her best efforts to remain positive.

 

* * *

 

Mon-El didn't need to establish their mental link to know that Kara was troubled; one look at her face the moment she appeared in the dream world was enough. “Did something happen?” he asked worriedly.

She shook her head but still looked uneasy about something. “It's nothing.”

He frowned but approached her slowly all the same just in case she didn't want him trying to read her thoughts. “Kara, I don't need to see your crinkle to know you're lying. Is it... something you don't feel like you can talk to me about?”

“I don't...” she trailed off and looked away. “You know I tell you everything.”

“Then...”

“The Danvers... They made today my birthday on Earth and we celebrated it. Even Alex.”

In any other situation, he would likely have teased her about being greedy for having two birthdays or ageing twice as fast as everyone else but this was clearly not the time for jokes. “That's nice of them,” he said instead.

“...One year ago today, I arrived on Earth. That's why they made today my Earth birthday.”

“...Oh.”

It could be any number of things about that which could be upsetting her and he didn't want to risk guessing on the off chance that he got it wrong and upset her even more. At a loss as to what to do, he fell back on the one tactic which almost always worked. “Come here.”

She objected to neither the hug nor the initiation of their mental link. “Thank you,” she mumbled into his chest, and he felt her gratitude through the connection.

“You're welcome,” he replied softly but noted that there was still a sense of disquiet to the golden light in his head. Even so, he held his tongue and waited for her to speak.

Silence reigned until she broke it by saying the most unexpected thing. “I'm sorry.”

Taken aback, he struggled to find the words to form a response. “For what?”

“...It's been a year,” she finally said after another long pause. “I... I haven't made a lot of progress. In finding a way to rescue you from here.”

“Ah.” This was what he had secretly feared – what he found himself occasionally thinking about during the times she wasn't around. He was becoming a burden to her even if she didn't – refused to – see it that way. “Kara, it's okay-”

The fabric of his shirt bunched up in her curled fists. “It's _not_ 'okay'. I'm not... _I'm not working fast enough._ ”

Her distress was bleeding through and affecting him. Or maybe that was what he was feeling himself. “You're only thirteen years old, Kara, and it's only been a year,” he tried pointing out. “What you're trying to accomplish... I think even an adult would have trouble doing it in that little time.”

She shook her head almost violently. “I could be doing more,” she insisted baselessly. “If I had more resources... If I didn't have to do things like go to school...”

“Kara, we've talked about this. You promised you'd live your life.”

Her grip around his waist tightened painfully. “You can't ask me to... to... _enjoy life_ as long as I know you're trapped here, Mon-El. I can't. _I won't._ I...” she faltered as she struggled to find the right words. “You mean _so much_ to me, Mon-El. And I took the Sacred Oath. _The Sacred Oath._ You can't... I wouldn't have done that if I wasn't serious about saving you.”

_It's precisely because I know how serious you are about this that I'm so worried_ , he thought to himself but didn't say, secretly glad that their connection didn't allow them to actually hear each other's thoughts. The reminder of the Sacred Oath in particular was almost painful as he remembered how it had only been used in the most serious of circumstances – how those who recited the words were usually zealots who stayed true to their oaths until they drew their last breath.

He remembered how Daxam had had its own version of that oath... and the last time someone had invoked his name when they had spoken the sacred words.

Hal-Ed had sworn before the gods that he would devote his life to protecting one Prince Mon-El of Daxam... and he had died doing just that.

If that was the fate that awaited those who tried to protect him... If Kara suffered in any way as a result of trying to fulfil her oath to him... he would never forgive himself. And as he would likely still be in the dream world if that happened, 'never' would last for all eternity.

It was past time for him to stop being selfish. For Kara's sake. She deserved better than this half-life she was currently living because of him. No, he was sure that if there was anyone in the universe who had Rao's favour and was destined for great things, it would be her... and he would just get in the way of that.

He had to do what was necessary.

“I know,” he murmured instead as he tightened his embrace slightly. “But Kara, you have to accept that you're on an extremely primitive planet-”

“I can't believe you still won't let that go,” she mumbled somewhat bitterly.

“-and there's only so much you can do with Earth's level of technology,” he continued without missing a beat. “Plus, you're only thirteen years old and it's only been one year. Even you can't have believed that you would be able to achieve your goal in such a short time.”

“...I know. I know, okay?” He couldn't tell if she was angry at him or herself. “It's just... frustrating. I thought... I thought I would've accomplished more by now.”

“Well, what have you managed to do so far?”

“Compile a rough list of places in the universe where time stands still or at least has a similar effect. Try to figure out in which direction your shuttle might have flown. Things like that.”

“That's actually quite a lot. You should be proud of yourself.”

“It doesn't _feel_ like a lot.”

“We'll agree to disagree then. Putting that aside, there's something about this one year thing you're overlooking.”

At that, Kara looked up at him quizzically. “What is it?”

Mon-El grinned ever so slightly at her even as he tried to hide his less cheerful emotions from her probing mind. “You're finally growing up.”

“Oh. That.” She turned her gaze downwards and frowned thoughtfully. “Well, I _am_ taller now...”

“And yet you still need my help to get onto your dragon. By the way, as the person who has to lift you so you can get onto said dragon, I have to say you're heavier now too,” he quipped.

That earned him an especially painful pinch. “Not funny,” she growled at him. “And you're only saying that kind of thing because you're afraid I'll be taller than you someday.”

He barked out a laugh that was actually genuine, much to his own surprise. “As if. And for the record, I bet you'll always be shorter than me. _Always._ ”

“I'll show you!” she vowed furiously as she jabbed a finger in his face. “We'll see who's the short one when I'm older.”

“Still you, definitely,” he said breezily and ruffled her hair for good measure before ending the hug, summoning Nes'th and taking to the skies in one swift move.

“Wha- Get back here, Mon-El!” he heard her rage as the sound of a second dragon taking flight reached his ears.

With his back turned to her and their mental connection broken, Mon-El let the smile slip off his face and his dark thoughts from earlier come to the forefront of his mind. This little fight would likely keep her mind off the events of today until she woke up. Then she would likely be reminded of the matter and he would have to convince and distract her once more. But that was fine. He would do this again and again until she fully accepted the difficult and time-consuming nature of her goal without seeing that acceptance as a personal failure.

And then... then he would try to convince her to revoke her oath and leave him to his fate.

Kara would no doubt fight him on this – out of a sense of duty to him or because she was just that stubborn... or proud... or all three – but he would have to persevere. For her sake. It didn't matter how terrified he was of what would happen to him when the bond that allowed them to meet here in the dream world was severed. He couldn't afford to be selfish. Not any more.

Once he was sure she was going to be fine on her own... once he was sure she didn't need him any more... he was going to do the right thing and break their link.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I clearly remember saying I felt like the previous chapter was a mess and now I'm saying it again but this time I REALLY feel like this one was messy due to the conflicting emotions flying all over the place. There was just so much I wanted to fit into this chapter and I'm not sure if it flowed properly so... uh, sorry if it didn't.
> 
> In any case, yes, the honeymoon(?) phase is almost over, boys and girls. Please prepare accordingly. >.>


	7. Innocence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A life is taken, a life is saved and good deeds, as they say, never go unpunished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GREETINGS, MY DEAR READERS!
> 
> Before you proceed, please put on this neck brace to protect you from possible mood whiplash and sign this form that says you acknowledge that about 75% of the angst ahead is from canon events so you can only hold me accountable for the remaining 25%.
> 
> All done? Excellent. You may now read the chapter.
> 
> (begins preparing escape route)

Things seemed to be going well.

The Danvers had always come across as kind and caring individuals so Mon-El was grateful that he didn't have to worry about Kara's wellbeing in that aspect. With the relationship between her and Alex improving significantly since her first Earth birthday, there was no reason to expect her to have any more problems on that front.

School had similarly stopped being a source of concern after the unparalleled success of the Prankster Guild in dealing with Belinda and others like her. Now, whenever Kara talked about school, it was mostly about her classes and occasionally an amusing anecdote about something that had happened that day. Companionship-wise, she had that Kenny boy for a friend so he didn't have to worry about her feeling lonely and if anything happened, she could now rely on Alex as well. Should trouble rear its head again even with all that, he was confident that he'd taught her enough to be able to develop her own pranks without needing his input.

On a deeper personal level, Kara now had this Bruce person to talk to when things got rough. The man's background – whatever she had told him about it anyway – sounded similar enough to hers that Mon-El felt like he could trust the human with being there for her in that aspect. There was also the added bonus of Bruce being present in the real world and thus just a phone call away instead of... well, a nap. Something which he had almost successfully dissuaded her from doing on purpose. ('Almost' being the operative word since she still did it every now and then. He didn't know why he thought he could actually convince her to give it up entirely.)

As for when she was feeling homesick and in need of someone who could keep her connected to her Kryptonian heritage... well. He would have to hope that her idiot cousin could step up on that front. (“Stop calling him an idiot!” he could practically hear Kara fume at him.) Kal-El could speak her native tongue at least and with the Fortress of Solitude – the name still made him snort – at his disposal, he would ensure that she had a piece of home to go to whenever she felt like it. Besides, the fact that she rarely recreated her room back on Krypton these past Rao knew how many visits suggested to him that she was gradually becoming accustomed to living without that particular source of comfort.

Her fourteenth birthday came and went without much incident, and like before he gave her a maejlis flower to commemorate it. Neither the event nor the gift seemed to upset her and he took it as a sign that she was slowly but surely coming to accept that this unconventional arrangement of theirs would continue for quite some time.

She was, as far as he could tell, almost ready to live a life without him in it. (Whether the reverse was true or not didn't matter.)

Then Kara showed up one visit with a slightly worried look on her face and asked if it was all right with him if she was a little late next time because Kenny had asked her if she wanted to go stargazing with him and she, seeing no good reason to refuse, had given him a tentative 'yes' for an answer.

Oh. Right. Now he knew why he felt like he'd forgotten something.

“...I see,” Mon-El finally found himself able to say after a long pause.

He had no idea with whom he could entrust the task of talking to a Kryptonian girl about mating. Especially when he knew that said Kryptonian girl still got very annoyed whenever he said something that sounded even remotely suggestive. (For some strange reason, she seemed to get even more annoyed when whatever he said involved one of the many women who had drifted in and out of his bed. He chalked it up to her general disapproval of his old lifestyle.)

Kal-El was pretty much only Kryptonian by blood; having been raised by humans, his values and world view were strictly human in nature and no amount of reading up on his people's culture could change that for better or worse. This meant that it was unlikely that he would be able to cross the cultural divide that separated the last two living members of the house of El. To make matters worse, Mon-El knew nothing about human mating rituals much less what age they began initiating relationships so he had no idea how they compared to even his own people's ways.

However, that was a secondary issue and not the main one as far as he was concerned which was how Kryptonians – which, in this case, meant Kara – viewed this sort of thing. Sure, her people had been free to choose who they wanted to marry but the fact that every single child on Krypton minus Kal-El had been produced through the Birthing Matrix seemed to suggest that physical intimacy was something that rarely happened, if ever.

On Daxam, many a snide remark had been made about how Kryptonians were little better than robots which were unable to even understand that life was to be enjoyed in every possible way. In fact, there had been countless jokes about everything from the blandness of Kryptonian cuisine to their boring idea of fun with Garata being the sole exception to the rule.

Of course, Mon-El was very much aware that these were simply baseless insinuations borne out of old prejudices much like how Krypton viewed Daxam as a planet of hedonistic barbarians. It was, however, undeniable that there was always a grain of truth in these things; after all, his people really had so loved the pursuit of pleasure in its many forms. While Daxam's royal family and noble houses had used the Birthing Matrix to produce their heirs – because Rao forbid a noblewoman be 'inconvenienced' with the 'burden' of being with child –, there was no member of the royal court who had been shy about wanting to indulge their carnal desires... or had trouble finding willing partners with whom they could sate said desires.

No, wait. Could it be that he was getting ahead of himself? For all he knew, this could be an innocent invitation from one friend to another and he was just making bone mountains out of bone hills. ...Wait, was that how the Earth saying went? Never mind, that wasn't important right now-

“Mon-El?”

“Huh?” At the sound of his name, he snapped out of his spiralling thoughts and looked up to find Kara staring at him, her brow creased with concern. “Oh, sorry. Um. What were you saying again?”

“Are you... Are you really okay with it?” she asked hesitantly. Her hand hovered in mid-air as if she was unsure if she wanted to touch him and initiate their mental link – as if she was... afraid?... of what she would see.

“Of course I'm fine with it,” he quickly tried to reassure her, suddenly aware that his abnormally long pause could have been mistaken for him secretly being upset but not wanting to say so. “You know I can't really tell how much time passes between your visits – or during them, even – so I won't even notice it. I mean it, Kara. I'm completely okay with you spending time with your friend and taking a little longer to return here as a result.”

“Oh. Okay.” Weird. For some reason, she still looked troubled.

“...Did you _not_ want me to be fine with it?” he asked confusedly. Had she actually wanted him to object so that she could have an excuse to back out or something like that?

“N-No. It's just...” she trailed off, visibly struggling to find the right words to express herself. “I... I guess I don't want you to feel like I'm picking him over you or anything like that? I mean,” she hurriedly went on, “you're my best friend. I don't want you to think that-”

“Okay, calm down,” Mon-El chuckled despite himself. “I assure you I don't see it that way so don't worry about that sort of thing, all right? I'm actually happy that you're doing something fun with your friend. So go ahead and enjoy yourself tomorrow night and don't rush back on my account.” As far as he was concerned, this was a good thing.

If he disregarded his suspicions about this entire scenario and its numerous possible outcomes, that is.

Well. He would see how things turned out first before he drove himself crazy trying to figure out how to address the situation.

“...Okay.” For some reason he couldn't fathom, Kara still didn't look happy.

 

* * *

 

“Where are you going?” Alex asked curiously as she watched Kara put on her jacket instead of changing into her pyjamas. “Did someone do something I don't know about that warrants... well, you know what?”

“Kenny invited me to go stargazing tonight and said he wanted to show me something he made himself at the same time,” Kara explained without even glancing in Alex's direction. “I'll try not to wake you up when I come back.”

A smirk slowly formed on Alex's face. So the guy was finally going to make his move. _Took you long enough_ , she thought to herself. Honestly, the way he'd been mooning over Kara while she remained oblivious to his feelings had stopped being funny a long while back. “Kenny and Kara sitting in a tree...” she said mischievously in a sing-song voice.

“Why would we be sitting in a tree?” Kara asked with genuine confusion. “Being several feet above ground isn't going to noticeably improve our ability to see the stars. Besides, Kenny has a telescope. Which is ideally set up on solid ground and not in a tree so once again, I don't see why the seating arrangement you just mentioned would help. And why did you say it in that funny way?”

Alex gaped, completely thrown by the insanely technical response. “What?”

Kara stared blankly back. “What?” she parroted.

Oh. Great. She really didn't know, did she? “Sometimes I forget that you're _literally_ from another planet,” Alex muttered under her breath as she facepalmed.

“Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!” Kara hissed furiously.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Go have fun.” With that, Alex all but shoved Kara out the window, pointedly ignoring the girl's protests all the while, and watched as her adoptive sister's figure waved an angry fist at her before disappearing into the darkness of the night.

 _Good luck, Kenny_ , Alex thought wryly to herself. _Something tells me you're going to need it... especially since there's like a ninety percent chance you're going to have your heart broken at this rate._

 

* * *

 

The facts were these:

Kara Zor-El had been born into and grown up in a society that was, to put it politely, quite prudish and emotionally reserved.

Due to her sheltered and privileged upbringing, the only people she had interacted with had been her parents and their occasional guests which had included her aunt and uncle.

When she had been forced to leave her home planet, she had only been twelve years old.

After that, she had spent a twenty-four year-long eternity being stuck at the age of twelve and her only companion had been a man who was physically more than twice her age but behaved for the most part as if he was only half as old as her.

Upon finally arriving on Earth, she had been preoccupied with learning the local language and mastering her newfound powers. Even after that, only the bare amount of attention had been paid to picking up Earthling social cues as she spent most of her free time reading or working on a way to rescue her aforementioned companion-now-best-friend from whichever timeless corner of the universe he was currently trapped in.

In short, Kara had absolutely no reason to suspect anything when Kenny had extended his invitation. She also had no idea why Mon-El had acted so strangely when she'd brought it up with him. Or why Alex had said what she'd said.

Out of all three of those issues, the only one that continued to occupy her mind even as she made her way to the clearing off of Highberry Road was Mon-El's odd behaviour. While he had said that he was fine with it, a part of her felt like... like he wasn't telling her something. There had been a lingering sense of disquiet to his thoughts since her first Earth birthday and if she was being honest with herself, she was worried that he was starting to lose hope of escaping the dream world. As part of her efforts to prevent him from giving up entirely, she had worked hard to compartmentalise her frustration over her slow progress so that she didn't continue to burden him with it and end up constantly reminding him about the matter in the process.

Her concern about her best friend's wellbeing continued to plague her but she did her best not to let it distract her too much as she listened to Kenny tell her about his pride and joy which he had named Galileo. Even so, she still found herself thinking about Mon-El when she started talking about people on other planets staring up at the sky just like them.

Just like she had back on Krypton, curious as she was about the universe.

Like Mon-El had back on Daxam, daydreaming about all the planets he wanted to explore.

Somewhere out there, his shuttle was floating in some timeless pocket of space and here she was, stuck on Earth with only their dreams keeping them connected.

Mind occupied as it was with these thoughts, it was only understandable that Kara was very surprised when she turned her head after she finished speaking to find Kenny's face inches away from hers.

In fact, her surprise was so great she jerked away with such force and suddenness that she fell over flat on her back with her arms flailing comically in the air.

There had been a ton of apologies after that. From both parties.

Then she'd blabbered something about the time and scampered home as fast as she could manage without using her superspeed.

It was a small blessing that Alex was already asleep when she returned because she was in no state of mind to talk to the girl at the moment... and if not for her meditation chant, she doubted she would have been able to fall asleep herself.

 

* * *

 

“I think Kenny tried to kiss me.”

The out-of-the-blue statement alerted Mon-El to Kara's arrival and he turned to find the girl standing there dressed in a mismatched pair of pyjamas. If not for her little confession and the blank look on her face, he would have teased her about it.

“Ah,” he said after a beat of silence. (A small voice at the back of his head expressed a newfound admiration for humans based solely on the apparently early age at which they underwent their sexual awakening. He imagined Nes'th crushing the incredibly unhelpful voice under one of her clawed feet.)

His muted response was apparently unsatisfactory as he was then forced to duck when a misshapen projectile flew at his head.

“MON-EL!” she practically screeched. “HUMAN BOY! ME! K-K-K-K-”

“You managed to say the word just fine the first time,” he pointed out carefully and then ducked again to avoid yet another projectile aimed at his face.

“ _MON-EL!_ ” The distraught look on her face was almost comical but he couldn't find it in himself to laugh. “HE TRIED TO... TO...” she sputtered, clearly unable to say the word again.

Self-preservation warred with his instinctive urge to touch her and initiate their mental link in order to calm her so he stayed put. “Yes. I heard,” he said gently. “You don't have to say it again.”

“BUT... BUT _WHY_?!” she all but wailed.

 _If I had to guess, he wants to mate with you._ He couldn't say that out loud, however. She was already distressed enough as it was and that answer, while likely accurate, was a little too direct for a Kryptonian girl's sensibilities and would only make things worse. What was a good, tame alternative? Oh, right. “I think he likes you,” he answered instead.

If her eyes got any bigger, they were going to pop out of their sockets. “ _WE'RE ONLY FOURTEEN!_ ”

He cleared his throat awkwardly. Perhaps there were some similarities between human culture and Daxamite culture. It was something he could work with, at least. “Well, on Daxam-”

It proved to be the wrong thing to say as another projectile whistled past his ear. He'd barely managed to avoid that one. “WE ARE _NOT_ ON DAXAM!”

“Really? I hadn't noticed,” he mumbled under his breath. She still heard him anyway.

“MON-EL!” This time, she sounded so obviously lost and in need of comfort that his self-preservation lost the battle despite the most recent attempt to decapitate him and he gingerly approached her.

“Okay, Kara, calm down,” he told her firmly as he knelt down in front of her while silently praying to Rao that she wasn't going to try and hit him again. “I just want you to answer a few questions for me, all right?” he asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder, careful not to make direct contact with her skin. He left the decision to establish their mental connection up to her in case she didn't want him peering into her mind.

She made her choice clear when she raised her own hand to clasp his in a heartbeat and the golden light flooded his head. The moment their thoughts tangled together, the light began to calm down and the tension slowly bled out of her frame. “Okay,” she breathed.

 _Rao, I really hope I'm doing this right._ “Did you want him to kiss you?”

Judging by the confusion he could see on her face and feel through the link, she had not been expecting that. “I- What?”

“Did you want him to kiss you?” he repeated patiently. “I know this doesn't sound important but it is. So yes or no?”

“I-I... I don't... think so,” she finally whispered after a long and visible internal struggle.

Mon-El offered her a soft smile as he tried to reassure her through their link that there had been no right or wrong answer. “That's fine then. I'm guessing you turned down his advances, judging by your current state of mind?”

“...I kind of... fell over when I backed away,” Kara admitted somewhat guiltily.

Doing his best not to visibly react or let his thoughts on the matter bleed through the link, he simply nodded. “Okay, that was a little more extreme than I expected but perfectly understandable considering everything. How did he take it?”

“He... He said it was fine,” she told him although he could tell she wasn't sure if Kenny had been lying to her or not. “We kind of apologised to each other. A lot. Then I... well...” She flushed a little. “I kind of... made up an excuse to run back to the house after that.”

“...You don't believe him?” he asked, deciding not to comment about the method she'd chosen to get out of what had clearly been an uncomfortable situation for her.

“It's just...” Her worry resurfaced and he resisted the urge to immediately brush it all away again. It was important that he let her sort out her thoughts and feelings first before he did anything. “What if he doesn't want to be friends with me any more because of this?”

He frowned. “Kara, if that's how he thinks, he doesn't deserve to be your friend, okay?”

“But-” she tried to protest.

“Kara, _no_. You know I don't insist on a lot of things but I am in this case.” He ran his free hand through his hair as he tried to figure out a way to get his point across. “Okay, look. On Daxam- let me finish, please,” he held up a finger to stop her from cutting him off. “On Daxam, it was imperative that a person obtained a... hmm, potential partner's permission before... proceeding. To force yourself on an unwilling individual – to even so much as attempt it – was seen as an insult to Yuda so great that anyone caught doing it would be severely punished regardless of their status. It was the one sacred right we gave the slaves – the right to reject the advances of even those who owned them without fear of repercussions. Yes, I am aware of how ridiculous it sounds; you don't have to tell me. Anyway, the point of the short history lesson is if even a slave on Daxam had the right to refuse someone's advances if they weren't interested, you certainly have that right too. Do you understand?”

“...Yes,” she answered him eventually, and seemed to be telling the truth judging by the relatively calm state of the golden light in his head.

Breathing an internal sigh of relief, he gave her a gentle smile. “Good. Now, how do you want to proceed?”

She drew a fortifying breath before speaking again. “I'll... I'll talk to him about it tomorrow and see if he's really okay with us still being just friends after this. Then... Then we'll go from there, I guess.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he nodded. “Okay, I think that's enough serious conversation for now so how about a quick game of Garata to lighten the mood a little?”

Kara agreed, and it was not long before two dragons were soaring through the cloudless blue sky of the dream world. Throughout the rest of the visit, Mon-El alternated between focusing on the game and worrying about how the situation would play out. Well, it didn't really matter in the end, he decided; whatever happened, he would do his best to help Kara work through it.

 

* * *

 

A definitive answer would never be obtained as the next morning, Kenny's dead body was found by the police.

 

* * *

 

She'd lost someone she cared about again.

That was the thought that looped endlessly in Kara's head as she stared at Kenny's locker. There were messages and little notes plastered all over the smooth metal but she couldn't really bring herself to read them, unsure if she had any right to do so. If she had stayed with him... If she hadn't run away... would he still be alive?

Was this her fault?

“Kara.”

At the sound of her name, she turned to find Alex standing there with a sorrowful look on her face. “What is it?” she asked dully.

“I'm sorry,” Alex said sincerely. “About Kenny. And teasing you about... you-know-what this morning. If I had known-”

“It's fine,” Kara cut the girl off with a shake of her head. “You didn't know so... it's fine.” Then she went back to staring at Kenny's locker.

Again. Why was she losing people she cared about again?

“I have to fix this.”

Her out-of-the-blue declaration clearly took Alex by surprise because all the girl could do for the next few seconds was sputter incredulously. “'Fix'? How- What do you even mean by that?”

Kara knew objectively that nothing she did could bring him back to life but she had to do _something_. The sense of helplessness that she thought she had managed to bury reared its ugly head again and she was desperate not to let it rule her life once more. If all she could do right now was bring his killer to justice, that was exactly what she was going to do. “I'm going to find out who killed Kenny,” she announced, “and I'm going to make sure they're punished for it.”

“...Oh my god, you're serious,” Alex murmured when she realised Kara wasn't joking around. “You're actually going to go all Nancy Drew on this.”

“Don't try to stop me, Alex-”

“I won't,” Alex cut her off, raising her hand to stop Kara from saying any more. “The opposite, actually. I want to help.”

To say that Kara was stunned was an understatement. “You do?”

“Look, we may not have been close or anything like that but the two of you were friends and I can see how much doing this means to you,” Alex explained seriously. “Besides, I'm not particularly keen on the idea of a murderer running loose in Midvale so you could say I have my own motivations for helping you.”

“I... Thank you,” Kara said, genuinely touched, and managed a small smile despite the grim mood and circumstances.

Alex shrugged casually but there was a hint of a smile on her face as well. “Don't mention it. Now... what's our first course of action?”

 

* * *

 

“It's not your fault, Kara. You can't blame yourself for this.”

That was the first thing Mon-El said the moment she finished telling him about Kenny's death.

“How can I not?” Kara demanded to know. “If I hadn't left him there-”

“ _Kara._ ” He cupped her face in his hands and stared into her glassy blue eyes as he used their mental connection to try and soothe her guilt-ridden mind. “One: You couldn't have known this was going to happen. Two: Whoever killed him waited for you to leave so unless you had followed him all the way back to his house, there was no way you could have prevented it. Three: The killer obviously wanted him dead so even if your presence had managed to dissuade them from trying that night, they would have just killed him some other time. There was nothing you could have done so you have no reason to feel guilty. Are we clear?”

“...I hate it when you're so logical,” she mumbled sullenly but they both knew that there was no real fire in her words. It was hard to maintain any kind of pretence when they could so easily tell how the other person was really feeling.

The corners of his lips twitched ever so slightly. “Did I hear that right? A Kryptonian admitting that a Daxamite is being more logical than her?”

“Oh shut up,” she muttered as she lightly smacked him in the chest.

“Violent as always,” he complained theatrically and there was a brief period of relative calm before the mood turned serious again. “You're going to try and catch his killer, aren't you?”

It didn't surprise her that he knew her that well. After all, she didn't think that there was anyone in the whole universe who knew her as well as he did. “Yes. Alex is helping me.”

One of his eyebrows arched but the smile on his face mirrored the genuine warmth she felt flowing into her head through their link. “That's nice of her. What have you two managed to find out so far?”

“Kenny's telescope and computer weren't at the scene according to the police so Alex and I went to look for it just now,” she started to explain, somewhat grateful that he wasn't trying to dissuade her from her chosen course of action. “We couldn't locate the telescope but found the laptop half-buried under a tree. Kenny had this programme he called Galileo which took pictures of whatever the telescope saw and stored them on his computer so our best guess is he saw something he wasn't supposed to. There was some water damage because it rained late last night but we still managed to turn it on and salvage its contents. A few of the files were encrypted so I emailed them to Bruce and asked for his help.”

“Hmm. Any suspects?”

“Well... Apparently Kenny emailed a picture he took of one of our teachers with this girl Alex is friends with called Josie. They looked... um... close.”

“...And that's meaningful because...?”

“It's against the law on Earth, Mon-El. Well, this part of Earth at least.”

“Ah. Understood. So you think this teacher might have killed Kenny to make sure no one else found out about his relationship with this Josie girl.”

“It's possible. Alex wanted to confront Josie about it tomorrow but I told her it would attract too much attention if either of us revealed in any way that we have the computer or its contents. If Mr Bernard – that's the name of the teacher – turns out to not be the killer, the real culprit will come after us. I mean, I'll be fine because of my powers but Alex could get hurt and I don't want that to happen so we're going to expose Mr Bernard indirectly. Then Alex will talk to Josie and see if she knows anything that could prove or disprove he's the killer. After that... well, we'll have to see.”

“Sounds like you have everything under control,” Mon-El noted with a hint of pride in his voice. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Kara shook her head but gave him a fragile smile and brought her hands up to clasp his. “Just... be here for me like always? That's all I need.”

“I can do that,” he replied softly and mirrored her smile before pulling her into a hug.

(In her current state of mind, Kara mistook the tinge of sadness in his eyes, his smile and his thoughts as reflections of her own. Not that it mattered by the time of her next visit.)

 

* * *

 

“It wasn't Mr Bernard.”

Kara stared incredulously at Alex. “But the picture!” she protested. “He had motive!”

Alex shook her head. “Josie is his alibi, insanely enough. The two of them were together when Kenny was killed. She told me as much when I asked her about the picture and suggested that Mr Bernard killed Kenny because Kenny was the one who took it and was threatening to tell everyone.”

“Then we're officially out of suspects,” Kara muttered as she pulled off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“What about the encrypted files?” Alex pointed out. “The killer's identity is probably in there somewhere. Have you heard back from that friend of yours?”

“He's been... a little busy.” _Trying to put the Clown Prince of Crime back in Arkham after he escaped for the millionth time, specifically_ , she thought but didn't say out loud. “He promised he would come through for me by tonight though.”

“Ugh! Adults!” Alex threw her hands up in frustration. “I can't believe we have to rely on them when we've been accomplishing so much on our own.”

“I think that might have something to do with the fact that we kept key evidence to ourselves and have a few unfair advantages,” Kara pointed out wryly.

“Meh. Details.” Clearly irritated, Alex began pacing in their room before she suddenly stopped and whirled to face Kara who was sitting in front of her computer. “I'm going to find Sheriff Collins; call me the moment your friend emails you the files and I'll tell the sheriff immediately so we can finally get this scumbag.”

“Wha- Don't you think that's a little hasty?” Kara asked as she watched Alex grab her coat and head for the door.

“I can't sit around here or I'll lose my mind. Remember, call the second that email arrives in your inbox.”

Then she was gone, and an inexplicable sense of dread filled Kara as she stared at her computer screen. “Come on, Bruce,” she whispered desperately. There was no logical reason why she was feeling so anxious and nothing she did in an effort to calm herself seemed to work.

When the email finally arrived and she saw what was in it, her anxiety seemed perfectly justified.

 

_I don't know what you've gotten yourself into, Kara, but please be careful. Don't do anything reckless. – Bruce_

 

It was good advice but she couldn't afford to follow it. Not when Alex's life was probably in danger that very second.

“It's Sheriff Collins!” she all but yelled into the phone when Alex finally picked up. “The encrypted pictures are of him! I think he's part of a drug deal or something!”

“Geez, Kara, lighten up,” Alex replied in an annoyed tone. “I'll be home the moment the game is over, okay? You don't need to freak out.”

The game. In the background, she could hear Sheriff Collins asking Alex why she had been looking for him.

In that moment, everything everyone had ever told her about not using her powers fled her mind. The fact that flying was the one power she had never actually trained herself to use because it was easy for people to spot her using it didn't matter.

All that mattered was that Alex was in danger and she had to save her. Even if she had to use every single one of her powers without a care for who might see her in the process.

So she flew, used her enhanced hearing as well as her X-ray vision to locate Alex and hit Sheriff Collins just hard enough to knock him out cold with one punch.

“Took you long enough,” Alex said with a grin.

“A little gratitude would be nice,” Kara shot back, a matching grin on her face.

Then the two girls laughed and hugged.

 

* * *

 

“What the two of you did was incredibly reckless and borderline illegal,” Jeremiah scolded them when they were finally back at the house and standing in front of the firing squad that was Alex's parents.

“But right now, we're just glad the two of you are okay,” Eliza finished.

“...Does that mean we're not grounded?” Alex asked timidly. Meanwhile, Kara kept her mouth shut and tried to disappear into the floor of the living room.

“Oh, you two are most _definitely_ grounded,” Jeremiah corrected his daughter with a tone of finality in his voice. “ _For life._ ”

“But _Dad_!” Alex whined.

“No 'buts', Alex,” Eliza said seriously. “You're lucky no one asked any questions about how Kara managed to find you in time, for one-”

The sound of the doorbell ringing cut short the conversation and when Jeremiah answered the door, there was a tall black man in a suit flanked by two similarly intimidating men standing on the other side.

Something about them caused a shiver to run down Kara's spine.

“Can I help you?” Jeremiah asked warily.

“Yes, in fact,” the man said with a smile that seemed to suck all the warmth out of the house. “You see, Dr Danvers, I happen to know that you're harbouring an alien in your house and tonight, that alien blatantly committed a crime.”

“Crime? What crime?” Eliza demanded to know. “She solved a murder!”

“It injured a human in the process,” the man replied smoothly. “And I believe it's safe to assume that it broke a few of our laws along the way as well.”

“That 'human' was a killer and he was going to kill me too!” Alex was beyond incensed. “And don't call Kara an 'it'!”

The man snorted derisively. “I'm not going to take orders from a child. Now, as I was saying... The alien you're allowing to hide in your home committed a crime so I'm going to have to take it into custody.”

“What?! No!” As one, all three members of the Danvers family moved to block Kara from the man's sight. “She's not going anywhere!”

Fear had kept Kara mute and rooted to the spot up to that point but the Danvers' actions broke her out of her trance. Her instincts told her this man was beyond dangerous and she would never forgive herself if they got hurt trying to protect her. “No, please! Don't do this!”

Instead of getting angry, however, the man simply smiled even wider. “I had a feeling this would be the reaction I would get which is why I came prepared and am willing to offer an alternative. I understand that both of you are brilliant experts in your respective fields so here is my suggestion: One of you comes to work for us in exchange for us overlooking this little... incident.”

“NO!” She couldn't let people she cared about sacrifice themselves for her sake while she could do nothing but watch. Not again. “I WON'T LET-”

That was when unimaginable pain wracked her entire body and she fell to her hands and knees, a wheezing sound that had originally been a scream escaping her lips. Breathing became almost impossible, tears began to cloud her vision and her ears were filled with a buzzing that came close to drowning out nearly every other sound in the world.

She felt like she was dying.

“KARA!”

“ _What the hell are you doing to my sister, you bastard?!_ ”

“Alex, no!”

“Let me go, Mom!”

“Why do you have Kryptonite?! Who _are_ you?!”

“You'll find out once you accept my offer. So what will it be, Dr Danvers?”

By then, Kara's hands had given way under her weight and she had collapsed on the floor. Free of the task of supporting her upper body, her hands began clawing desperately at her chest as she continued to struggle to breathe. The buzzing had mutated into a dull roar and she found herself slipping in and out of consciousness. _Mon-El_ , her mind begged blindly through the haze of agony blanketing it, _help me, please. It hurts. Ithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurts._

“All right! All right! I'll go with you! Just put the Kryptonite away and stop hurting my daughter!”

“No! Dad, don't!”

“Jeremiah...”

“Take care of the girls for me, Lizzie. Please. I'll... I'll be home before you know it, I promise.”

“No,” Kara managed to croak feebly as she fought to try and push herself off the ground. _Please don't do this. Not again. Please, not again._

But it was no use.

“I'm glad you see things from our perspective, Dr Danvers. Now, we should probably get moving as we've got a long drive ahead of us. And don't worry about necessities; we'll provide you with everything. After all, you're now one of our... invaluable employees. Oh, and that pod you've so shoddily hidden in your garage will be coming with us too. For safekeeping, of course. I'm sure you understand how dangerous it is to leave alien technology just lying around.”

Then the front door slammed shut and the pain consuming her body began to fade... but not the pain in her heart and soul.

It had happened again, despite her best efforts. She'd lost someone she cared about again. And this time, there was no denying that she had been the cause.

_When will it stop? When?_

“Kara? Kara, can you hear me? Please say something.”

“I'm sorry,” she whispered brokenly as the tears continued to trail down her cheeks. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-”

“Shh, sweetie. There's no need to apologise. Can you stand? Alex, a little help please?” Two pairs of hands grabbed her arms and slung them over shoulders before she found herself being half-carried up the stairs.

Despite Eliza's insistence, Kara kept apologising, her words peppered with rasping breaths and harsh sobs, all the way upstairs and continued even as she was tucked into bed. “I'm so sorry,” she mumbled one more time before the darkness finally claimed her.

Unlike the many nights preceding this one, however, sleep did not promise the peace it usually did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (dumps a pile of Hank Henshaw voodoo dolls on the ground before fleeing to an alternate universe)


	8. Atlas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is no cape (yet), but already the weight of the world has begun to rest heavily on those shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (cautiously creeps back in)
> 
> So... uh, it looks like I broke quite a few people with the last chapter. (laughs nervously) Uh, will it help if I say I'm really sorry and I promise there will be fluff in the near future?
> 
> Just... um... not in this chapter. Um. Hang in there? (offers tissue boxes)

“ _Just... be here for me like always? That's all I need.”_

Mon-El wondered if he was supposed to see that as a sign.

He knew the scars Kara carried very well – knew that no matter how much time passed, the losses she had suffered at such a young age and the sense of helplessness they had manifested in her would haunt her to some extent for the rest of her life.

Kenny's death had predictably reopened those wounds and the moment she had told him about it, the first thing he had thought to do – the first thing he knew he _had_ to do – was make it clear to her that she was not at fault and override her arguments before she could even start. He had worried that she would descend into a spiral of despair and nothing he did would be able to get her out of it.

But of course Kara had proven him wrong almost immediately in that regard. Brave, strong Kara had surprised him yet again even though he really should have expected this from her by now. Yes, she had blamed herself for Kenny's death but she had chosen to do something about the situation instead of letting her grief paralyse her. He didn't know if this proactive approach had anything to do with what she had accomplished through the Prankster Guild with his 'guidance' but there was no denying that he felt a small surge of pride at the possibility.

He had made a positive difference in her life. It was such a small accomplishment in the grand scheme of things but considering the worthlessness of his existence back on Daxam, it meant everything to him.

And now...

Now that he knew for sure that she could deal with whatever life threw at her without his help... Now that he had definitive proof that she would find a way to push forward and triumph no matter how big or small the issue at hand happened to be, he could rest easy.

Even if it was something as simple as finally developing an interest in mating – because surely his people had been wrong and Kryptonians didn't have a genetic predisposition for abhorring physical intimacy, right? –, he was sure that she would be able to could figure things out on her own. Eventually.

The only question left was: How was he going to break the link between them?

It was through the course of figuring out a potential answer to that question that he remembered the discussion they had had when she had returned to the dream world for the first time after arriving on Earth. Kara had wondered out loud if she had only been able to come back because she had _wanted_ to come back... and he himself had admitted that he had wanted her to return out of concern for what had happened for her. If a desire to keep meeting in the dream world was a crucial element to keeping the connection open, then all he had to do was stop wanting to see her.

Easier said than done.

He sighed in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. _It's for the best._ That was what he kept telling himself. He had to have Kara's best interests at heart; that was all that mattered. She deserved to have a full life – a _proper_ life – and he would do everything in his power to ensure that.

Even so, he would be lying if he said he wouldn't miss her. They had spent an eternity – a twenty-four year-long one, to be precise – plus another two years getting to know each other and becoming best friends as a result, after all; it was only natural for him to have these thoughts. At least, that was what he felt.

As for her... He wondered briefly if she would miss him as much as he would miss her once the shared dream came to an end. Then he almost immediately smacked himself on the head for thinking that. Of course she would miss him to some extent; she was _Kara_. Her heart was just that big and she had clearly stated that she saw him as her best friend. But he hoped – for her sake, at least – that over time, she would allow him to become nothing more than a distant memory to her until she finally forgot about him entirely.

No, the most difficult part about severing the link was not figuring out the method but rather trying to carry out his plan in such a way that Kara would neither be hurt nor feel any desire to keep trying to rescue him.

He wondered if he should say goodbye. It would give her a sense of closure and he would be able to assure her himself that this was the right path forward. Not that he didn't have his own selfish reasons for wanting to see her one last time before... before he learned first-hand whether he would be trapped in the dream world for all eternity or simply slip into the arms of oblivion after she stopped visiting.

However, he was well aware that that option came with its own hazards with the main one being that his determination to go through with his plan would falter if he saw her again. There was the risk that he would tell himself to delay the farewell indefinitely – to put it off for the next visit again and again until he finally gave in to his cowardice and abandoned his plan entirely just because he selfishly wanted to keep her in his life and not be alone forever. That didn't even take into account the fact that knowing Kara, she would immediately and vehemently object to his plan and do everything in her power to get him to give it up. And he would likely do as she asked simply because she asked.

Perhaps a clean break would be better.

But if he severed the connection without explanation, there was a chance she would blame herself for lack of any other explanation available to her. The guilt would eat her alive and those wounds would likely never heal. It would negate the entire point of his actions.

He was stuck.

Consumed by frustration and despair, Mon-El cursed his weakness as he tried to figure out a way to solve his dilemma. Praying to Rao seemed counterproductive since he was sure their god had had a hand in creating this situation in the first place but without anyone else to turn to for help, it seemed like that was his only recourse. The realisation filled him with bitter amusement – the gods really did have a cruel sense of humour – and he sought to distract himself even if momentarily by creating a construct of the statue of Vell Or which had overlooked one of the old ruins he had explored as a child.

It was in the midst of this little exercise that a wave of pure agony ripped through his entire body, tearing his concentration to shreds and sending him to the ground on his hands and knees. Without his focus keeping it together, his construct shattered into a million pieces but he was in no state to care; it felt as if someone had poured molten fire into his veins and stuck their hands inside his body and crushed his organs to dust. Breathing became a chore and his vision blurred.

A small voice at the back of his head openly wondered if he was dying. If something had happened to his body in the real world and those injuries were being 'transmitted', for lack of a better word, to him here in the dream world. _This is it_ , he thought to himself distantly. _This is how my life comes to an end._

Faced with what he presumed to be his impending demise, he found himself filled with a variety of regrets. There was the regret that he hadn't been able to travel across the universe like he had dreamed of doing as a child. Regret that his life on Daxam had been mostly devoid of meaning and purpose. Regret that Bal-Seg's and Hal-Ed's sacrifices had been for naught in the end.

Ultimately, however, he found his greatest regret was that he couldn't see Kara one last time.

But then the pain finally faded away after what felt like forever and clarity slowly returned... and with it came the realisation that throughout the torturous episode, there had been the hazy notion that someone had been desperately calling his name.

Only one person came to mind.

_Kara._

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

He knew the rules of the dream world – if he thought about her while she was absent, the time between her visits would feel longer. But it was impossible not to think about her now when he was very certain that something bad had happened and all he could do was wait. Wait and worry. What had happened to her? Was she hurt? Could she be d- No. He refused to even consider that possibility for even a second... but the thought continued to lurk in the deepest darkest corners of his mind despite his best efforts to banish it.

The helplessness he felt was more agonising than even the physical pain that he had endured earlier. Pain which he was sure she had experienced herself in the real world and had somehow managed to transmit to him even if unintentionally.

All thoughts of severing their bond were a distant memory in that moment. He needed to know she was all right. So he kept waiting. Waiting and worrying.

Just as he was beginning to lose hope, the sound of the most heart-wrenching sob he had ever heard cut through the air and Mon-El turned to find Kara standing before him, dressed in day clothes and tears streaming down her face.

“I didn't mean for it to happen,” she cried desperately as she brought her hands up to her face – whether to brush away her tears or to cover her mouth, he couldn't tell. “You have to believe me, Mon-El. I didn't mean for it to turn out this way.”

“Shh. Hey. Shh, Kara, it's okay. I believe you.” In the blink of an eye, he had gathered her trembling form in his arms and initiated their mental link in order to try and calm her even though he had no idea what she was talking about.

Unlike every other time, however, the golden light recoiled from him and seemed to almost reject his attempts to soothe it as it thrashed in some blind effort to push him out of her head. His first instinct was to pull back and respect her wishes but then she wrapped her arms around him and clung tightly to him as if she was afraid he was going to vanish if she let her grip loosen even just a little.

“I did the right thing. I did everything right.” She was blabbering incoherently and seemed to be talking more to herself than him. “I didn't do anything wrong so why... _why did things turn out this way?_ ”

“Kara, please.” He didn't even really know what he was begging her to do. “Just... _please_. _Breathe._ Tell me what happened. _Please._ I want to help. Please let me help.”

For a long while, she just kept begging for forgiveness and shaking so violently in his arms that he could almost bring himself to believe that this was how she was going to be for the rest of eternity. Then the story slowly escaped her in half-formed sentences and emotional ramblings, and with every detail he received his heart broke for her over and over again.

But it was what she said after she had finished retelling the events leading up to her breakdown that delivered the killing blow.

“I should never have left the Phantom Zone,” she sobbed uncontrollably. “I should have stayed there – stayed _here_ – forever and never arrived on Earth. _I should never have left Krypton._ ”

He tightened his grip around her body in some irrational hope that it would keep her from falling apart any more than she already had. “Kara, please, you can't think that-”

“Kal-El didn't want me,” she continued brokenly as if he hadn't said anything. “He wouldn't have missed me at all. Kenny... Kenny could still be alive. Jeremiah wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself for me-”

He couldn't bear to hear any more. “Kara, stop. Just... _stop_.” It was half a plea and half a command. “Listen to me. _Listen to me._ ” He pulled away just enough so he could cradle her tear-streaked face in his hands and stare into her red-rimmed eyes – something that was harder to accomplish than expected because she refused to let go of him – as he all but pinned down the golden light with his thoughts in the hopes that he could somehow force her to calm down. “You can't think like that, okay? You can't. You can't let the what-ifs consume you. It won't help. Please... _Please_ don't go down that path.”

She shook her head vehemently and the golden light mimicked the action as if it was trying to throw his thoughts off of it. “I shouldn't have woken up. I should have slept forever. Please, Mon-El... Please don't let me wake up again. I don't want to wake up again. I don't want anyone else I care about to get hurt because of me ever again. Please, Mon-El. _Please._ ”

“You... You know I can't do that,” he whispered as he struggled to keep his own tears at bay. “For a number of reasons. Kara... you know why I can't do what you're asking of me. I've been there. I know exactly how you're feeling right now. I won't... I won't let you make the same mistakes I did. You can't ask me to do that. I won't do it. I _can't_.”

“ _But it hurts_ ,” she kept weeping. “It hurts _so much_ , Mon-El. I don't... _I just want it to stop hurting._ ”

There was no logical reason to think that hugging her again would somehow be able to help considering it had apparently failed to have any effect before this but he did it anyway. “Shh. I know. I know, Kara. But you can't run away from this. Not now, not ever. If you do, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Trust me on this. So please... don't run. No matter how much it hurts. You can do it, Kara. You're so strong. So strong and so brave. I believe in you and I know you'll pull through in the end. You _will_ survive this. It may not seem possible right now but it _will_ happen, I swear to Rao. So be strong, Kara. And... And just know that I'll be right here for you for as long as you need me.”

“...Promise?” she whispered desperately, her voice hoarse from all the crying.

“I promise,” he whispered back, and hugged her just a little tighter as if he could protect her from all the evils of the universe by doing so.

When the call of the real world could no longer be ignored and she vanished from his embrace, Mon-El found himself succumbing to the same sense of helplessness that had plagued him prior to Kara's return.

Once again, all he could do was wait. Wait and worry.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Kara became aware of when she woke up was the rawness of her throat and the sensation of St'rki licking away the dried tears on her cheeks.

The second thing she became aware of was the fact that Alex's bed was empty and there were only two human heartbeats in the house instead of three.

Her first instinct was to curl up into a ball and go back to sleep. She didn't want to face Eliza and Alex. Not after what she had done to them and to Jeremiah. Not after what her presence in their lives had done to their family.

But then Mon-El's words echoed in her head and she felt the ghostly sensation of his arms wrapped tightly around her, and she knew that she had to get up.

So get up she did. Even though it hurt.

Eliza and Alex were in the kitchen when she finally made her way downstairs and the sound of her footfalls alerted them to her arrival.

For one painfully long moment, all she could do was stare wordlessly at them as they too stared silently back at her.

She swallowed thickly and decided to speak first. “I'm-”

In the span of a second, Alex had leapt out of her seat and all but run over to envelop her in a hug. “Don't you _dare_ apologise,” the girl hissed into Kara's ear. “ _Don't you dare._ ”

“But-” Kara tried to protest.

“ _I said 'don't you dare'_ , you... you _idiot_ ,” Alex practically snarled. “This is _not_ your fault, okay? If anyone is to be blamed for this, it's that bastard, you understand?”

Only the knowledge that she could accidentally hurt Alex if she tried to remove her kept Kara from acting. “If I hadn't been so reckless-”

“Look, if you blame yourself for this, I have to share that blame too, get it?” Alex cut her off fiercely. “If I hadn't been so hasty in talking to Sheriff Collins, you wouldn't have had to rescue me. So if we're going to play the blame game, guess what? We're going to have to do it together.”

“No one is blaming anyone for anything,” Eliza finally spoke up as she made her way over to them and wrapped her arms around both girls. “Things... Things just happen. Things beyond our control. None of us could have known that we were being monitored by... whoever that man was. Jeremiah made his choice and his choice was to protect you, Kara. I'm- We're just glad that you're okay. Do you feel better?”

Kara was saved the trouble of trying to come up with a response to that question when a knock on the front door resounded throughout the house. As one, all three of them tensed – Kara may have even flinched – before Eliza slowly released the two girls and went to answer the door.

Everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief when the door opened to reveal a sombre-looking Kal-El, a nondescript file clasped securely in his hands.

“I came as soon as I could,” he said in lieu of a greeting as he stepped inside and hugged Eliza. “I'm so sorry, Eliza. If there's anything I can do-”

“You can get my dad back from wherever the hell that bastard took him for starters!” Alex yelled heatedly.

“Alex!” Eliza admonished her daughter as she pulled away from Kal-El and closed the door. “You can't-”

Kal-El held up a hand to stop the Danvers matriarch, a genuinely contrite look on his face. “Eliza, it's okay. I understand how she feels. I wish I could do that, Alex, I really do. But the situation is more complicated than you think.”

“How complicated can it be?!” Alex demanded to know. “They threatened Kara's life and used that as leverage to basically kidnap my dad! Don't those things automatically make them the bad guys?! You're a superhero, aren't you?! Aren't these the kind of people you fight on a daily basis?!”

A defeated sigh escaped Kal-El as he pulled off his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose with his free hand. “I... This is hard to explain but I'll try anyway. One of the reasons I can't take action on Kara's behalf is that it will expose her true identity as an alien to the world. After all, why would anyone want to come after a perfectly normal human girl in a small town called Kara Danvers? And why would Superman care so much about her that he would go to such great lengths to protect her? But Kara Zor-El... Everything makes sense if Kara Danvers is actually Kara Zor-El. And there are too many people who would love to hurt her if only to get at Superman. Exposing Kara's identity to the world to save her from one enemy will just attract even more unwanted attention and put her in more danger.”

“What's the other reason?”

It was the first thing Kara had said since Kal-El's arrival and the moment she spoke up, the other three individuals in the Danvers residence turned to look at her.

She was undaunted.

“You said 'one of the reasons'. That means there's some other reason you can't help. What is it?”

Kal-El sighed again and motioned for everyone to sit down with the hand that was holding the mysterious file he had brought with him. “There's something I think you all need to see. Because you deserve to know.”

Puzzled, they did as he requested while he remained standing. The grim look on his face as he regarded her in particular made Kara twitchy and her hand rose up to fiddle with her glasses before she remembered that she wasn't wearing them at the moment and dropped her hand back down on her lap.

Then, as if he was a magician performing a spectacular trick, Kal-El wordlessly placed the file he had been holding all this while down on the table and flipped it open.

It was just a picture, but the sight of the man's face instantly made Kara recoil. (A small voice at the back of her head idly noted that the photographer had done a good job of capturing the cold callousness in the man's eyes.)

In contrast, Alex jumped to her feet and pointed an accusatory finger at the photo staring up at them. “That's the bastard!” She looked up at Kal-El with fire in her eyes. “Who the hell is he?!”

“His name is Hank Henshaw,” Kal-El explained quietly as he reached out and removed the photo, having likely noticed Kara's visceral reaction to it and wishing to spare her any further pain. “He's the director of a government organisation called the Department of Extra-normal Operations – the DEO for short – which has been tasked with monitoring extra-terrestrial presences of any and all kinds on Earth for the purposes of preventing potential alien invasions among other things.”

“And what, that gives them the right to... to... _terrorise_ Kara? To _torture her_ so that they can _blackmail_ my dad into working for them? Because that's somehow going to 'protect humanity'?” Alex snarled.

“The law hasn't quite caught up yet where the rights of aliens are concerned,” he sighed with a shake of his head. “It doesn't help that Kara is already hiding behind a false human identity. Legally speaking, they have a lot of cover. And I can't be seen openly opposing an official government organisation – one that was specifically set up to deal with alien threats, no less. The optics would be... It wouldn't look pretty. As for their 'recruitment' of Jeremiah, I'm fairly certain that they've got all their paperwork sorted out by now. Officially, he went to work for them willingly and they're probably going to make sure that he sticks to that story if he's ever questioned about it.”

Alex stared incredulously at him. “So they're just going to get away with it?”

His silence was answer enough.

“Unbelievable.” Alex barked out a derisive laugh. “All those powers of yours and you can't do a damn thing when you're needed the most.”

“Alex, that's not fair,” Eliza scolded.

“ _Nothing about this is fair, Mom!_ ” Alex shot back before storming towards the front door. “I can't take this any more! I'm going outside!”

“Alex!” Eliza called despairingly and shot both the Kryptonians present an apologetic look before chasing after her daughter, leaving the two of them alone.

“I...” Kal-El faltered and fell silent for a moment before he seemingly found the courage to continue speaking. “I can't claim to understand how you feel right now and I know it probably won't help much but you should probably know that there was nothing you could have done to prevent this. Henshaw... he has a reputation for seeing all aliens as a threat and believes they should all be killed. It's possible that the only reason you weren't forcibly taken is your ties to me; if word got out that a relative of Superman – a young girl, no less – was captured and killed by a government organisation, the public's opinion would not be in their favour. And if they tried to justify it the way they did to the Danvers, it would just make things worse for them.”

“So why?” Kara asked softly as she searched his face for answers. “Why did they do it then?”

“I... This is pure speculation but I think they were just using it as an excuse to recruit Jeremiah,” he replied. “They've managed to compile a significant amount of information about me and Kryptonian biology by extension over the years but Jeremiah's expertise and role in helping me learn about my abilities would have helped fill in the blanks, so to speak. Harvesting his knowledge as opposed to... studying you directly would save them a lot of hassle. If you had been different from me in some way, however... I don't know if they wouldn't have dragged you off despite the risks.”

If she had been different... One thing occurred to her then and she didn't know if she was supposed to laugh or not. There was one unique thing about her that set her apart from her cousin, after all: the dream connection she had with Mon-El. If she had revealed that to anyone before this... If those humans had found out about it somehow... would she now be in their custody, systematically taken apart and studied piece by piece like a computer? Would they have found a way to use the bond to locate Mon-El wherever he was in the universe, bring him to Earth and experiment on him too?

Even thinking about it made her sick with fear.

But if they had known about the bond and taken her, Jeremiah would not have had to go with them. The Danvers would be fine. They would have remained a whole and happy family.

Their wellbeing for Mon-El's life as well as hers.

Was that a trade she could bring herself to make?

She didn't know, and that in itself felt incredibly damning.

_I have to fix this._

“I understand they used Kryptonite to subdue you.” Kal-El's statement drew her out of her thoughts and she turned her attention back to him. “I have some experience with that, unfortunately, so I have a good idea how you're feeling in that regard.”

Kryptonite... Jeremiah had used that word last night and judging by what he had said, it was the thing which had robbed her of her strength to the point where she felt like she had been on the verge of dying. She hadn't been able to see or get any idea of what it was, however, and now she wanted answers. “What is this 'Kryptonite' thing? Does it have something to do with Krypton or...?”

“Right. I forgot I never told you about that.” He sighed again, and something about the way he held himself suggested that he did not particularly relish talking to her about this. “Kryptonite is what we call the green mineral from our home planet; on Earth, it has radioactive properties which cause Kryptonians – that is, us – to suffer a great deal of physical pain and rob us of our powers. If we're exposed to it for a long enough period, we will die. Some of it arrived on this planet along with our pods but there have been instances of chunks of them just making their way here on their own over time.”

The inappropriate urge to laugh resurfaced. Here she was still feeling homesick every once in a while and now she had just been informed that fragments of her home were one of the few things that could kill her on Earth. The universe really did have a twisted sense of humour. (She wondered if Mon-El would laugh when she passed this bit of information to him.)

“Thank you for telling me,” she said instead. It was good to know what she would have to deal with when she acted on the plans forming in her head.

“I'm sorry.”

Kal-El's unexpected apology caused her to stare blankly at him. “For what?”

He waved a hand in the air half-heartedly. “This. I just... I just wanted to protect you from all of this, Kara.”

Her face remained blank as she looked down at the file in front of her. “It's okay,” she whispered. “For what it's worth, I don't think that was actually possible in the first place.”

 

* * *

 

“What are you- _Do you even hear yourself right now?_ ”

Kara just kept staring resolutely back at him, and Mon-El had to clench his fists to keep himself from doing something he would regret like shaking her in the vain hope that she would come to her senses.

She wasn't just being her usual stubborn and reckless self; he had learned long ago how to deal with her when she was like that. No, there was something else behind the stubbornness and recklessness which he knew was much more dangerous than both of those qualities combined: blind desperation.

“Will you help me?” she asked.

If it were any other kind of situation, he doubted that he would have been able to refuse. It was hard for him to say no to Kara after all; all she usually had to do when she really wanted something from him was bat those big blue eyes of hers and pout. He usually found himself caving incredibly quickly when that happened.

But this... If he didn't stop her right here and now, he would never forgive himself simply because if she went through with it, there was the distinct possibility that she would die.

And that was beyond unacceptable.

“You just told me that these people have something that can not only strip you of your powers but also _kill you_ and you want to _go looking for them_ so you can save Jeremiah? That's not a rescue mission, Kara; that's a _suicide mission_!”

“I can do it. I know I can if you help me.” Her misplaced confidence would have amused him if not for the circumstances. “So I'm asking you: Are you going to help me or not?”

He grit his teeth as he refrained from swearing in ten different languages. The problem was that he knew precisely how she was feeling and what was driving her to ask this of him; he had been in a similar position a lifetime ago, after all, even though he had given in to his despair instead of gone down the path of insanity. Back then, it had taken a harsh speech from Bal-Seg before he accepted the reality of his situation and right now, it looked like that was what Kara needed.

He was not Bal-Seg. And he was mostly terrible at speeches. But he would have to try. For her sake.

“Fine,” he grit out even as he began cursing himself for what he was about to do. “I will help you. _If._ ”

“'If'?” she asked in open bewilderment, having clearly not expected him to attach any conditions to his assistance.

“If you beat me in a little battle of wills.”

She frowned. “Mon-El, I don't have time for games-”

He held up a finger to silence her. “Time isn't much of an issue here, remember? All you have to do is win. That's it. So yes or no?”

“...Fine. How are we going to do this?”

One battle won, a whole war left to fight. “We create a construct together like old times. Except this time, we're going to see who can wrest full control of it from the other. If you win, I'll help you. But if I win, you'll give this up.”

Everything from her gaze to her posture screamed defiance. “I won't lose.”

“We'll see,” he murmured. “Let's begin.”

It was, he had to admit, a new experience. By the time their mental connection had started materialising, they had already become so close that any fights they had were mostly superficial in nature and usually resolved before anyone's feelings got seriously hurt.

This time, however, he could actually hurt her. In fact, he had to. After all, that was practically the entire point of this 'exercise'.

For a long while, they were evenly matched and Mon-El could feel the golden light push back just as much as he was pushing it. He expected nothing less from her and despite the situation, he could not stop himself from feeling a little proud of her.

But he had to win. And if that meant he had to cheat, so be it. Besides, cheating had been his goal from the beginning, not fighting fairly.

So he walked up to her and thwacked her on the forehead.

Understandably startled, Kara let out a surprised squeak and clapped a hand to her forehead as she fell backwards in a heap on the ground. Consequently, her concentration faltered and he succeeded in pushing her mind out of the construct entirely.

“I win,” he announced grimly as he stared down at her trembling form. “So you have to give up this crazy plan of yours.”

“You cheated,” she protested weakly, and he could see her mad drive to act slowly crumble before his very eyes.

Oh, how he hated himself right now. He had thought that he couldn't hate himself for anything the way he hated himself for his worthless existence back on Daxam but here he was proving himself wrong by hurting her. All because the alternative was letting the world break her beyond repair or outright kill her. “Those people won't play fair. They've already shown that they don't care about those things. They don't care that you're just a young girl and they won't care if you die. I'm just... _You need to understand, Kara. They won't play fair._ ”

“Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly as she struggled to prevent herself from crying. “I thought... I thought you were my friend. My _best friend_. I thought you would help me.”

“It's _precisely_ because I'm your best friend – _because I care_ – that I'm doing this. Kara...” he trailed off helplessly and knelt down before her although he refrained from touching her. “I'm doing this because I need you to understand that you can't fix everything that's wrong in the universe. You can't... You can't save everyone.”

A sob escaped her despite her best efforts, and in that moment she was back to being that twelve-year-old girl who had just lost her entire world. “Why not?” she whispered brokenly.

He couldn't hold himself back any longer and pulled her into a tight hug – one which, to his immense and secret relief, she did not reject but rather welcomed even if somewhat hesitantly. “Because you are not a god, Kara,” he murmured as he stroked her hair and tried to soothe the clearly distressed golden light flooding his head at the moment. “You may have all these godlike powers _but you are not a god_. So please... Please don't ask me to help you get yourself killed in some desperate attempt to fix something that isn't your fault. I won't do it. I _can't_ do it.”

“But I have to do _something_ , Mon-El,” she sobbed into his shoulder as she grabbed fistfuls of his shirt. “I... _I need to do something._ I can't just pretend like everything's fine and go about my life like normal. _I can't._ You can't... Please don't ask me to, Mon-El. _Please._ ”

“I won't,” he whispered. “I won't but this isn't the way to go about it. I promise you I'll help you figure out a way to deal with this, Kara, but this is not that way. If you choose to act as rashly as you initially planned to do, Jeremiah's sacrifice will become worthless. You don't want that, right? And besides, he's not in any immediate danger. So please, just... calm down for now. Please?”

A long period of silence punctuated by muffled sobs followed but eventually those quietened and she wasn't shaking quite so much. “...Okay,” she finally said hoarsely.

Relief washed over him and his embrace relaxed despite himself. “Okay,” he repeated before tightening his grip around her body again.

Silence reigned once more until Kara decided to bring an end to it.

“Thank you.”

“...For what?”

“For being my best friend. For caring. For being here for me. I... You don't know how much that means to me.”

Mon-El squeezed his eyes shut as if the action would prevent his tears from falling. “I promised you, after all. I'll be right here for you for as long as you need me.”

It was technically not a lie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was another messy chapter in my eyes; I'm not entirely sure I managed the mental 'transition' well from moment to moment but I did my best. Hopefully that was enough. On that note... (offers more tissue boxes before quickly leaving again)


	9. Mending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara begins to pick up the pieces. Everyone helps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... uh, I know I've been bombarding you guys with angst the past couple of chapters so here's a chapter with fluff and humour!
> 
> ...Please forgive any residual angst you may find? There was no way around it... >_>
> 
> Also, for the sake of clarification, all Batman-related characters in this fic are based on their Gotham incarnations. (Does anyone else watch the show and feel sad that we're only getting one more 13-episode season before it's over? I need someone to mourn with here...)

“I'm sorry.”

Mon-El cracked one eye open the moment he heard the out-of-the-blue apology and lifted his head just enough that he could look down at the head of blond hair resting right above his heart. Their 'fight' and the ensuing conversation from before had taken such an emotional and mental toll on both of them that neither of them had been able to summon the energy to create even a pillow. Instead, they had opted to just lie down on the grass although Kara's reluctance to interrupt their mental connection for even a moment had led to some awkward shuffling and tangled limbs as they tried to find an agreeable position without letting go of each other.

They figured it out anyway. They always did.

“For what?” he asked curiously, drawing some measure of comfort from the fact that the golden light in his head seemed calm enough aside from the undercurrent of guilt he could detect.

“The day I took the Sacred Oath, I told you that it was my turn to take care of you after everything you did for me during that twenty-four year-long eternity,” she whispered as she idly played with their intertwined fingers which in a way reflected the entangled state of their thoughts. “I know you said we take care of each other back then but... I just feel like you've been taking care of me much more than the reverse lately. It doesn't seem... fair.”

He tried not to let the mention of the oath get to him considering their emotions were still quite raw and he had only just recently promised himself he would not deliberate that issue until the right time arose so he focused on what she had said instead. “I know I'm technically still new at this since you're the first best friend I've ever had – the first actual friend, for that matter – but I get the sense that best friends don't keep score when it comes to these things. I'm fine with it, Kara. I mean that.”

“It's just...” she faltered, her uncertainty bleeding through the link, and he did his best to brush it away. “I don't want you to feel like I'm taking you for granted. Like... Like I'm just... using you or anything like that.”

A chuckle escaped him despite his best efforts. “I'm the crown prince of Daxam, Kara,” he reminded her. “I'm used to being used and I learned from a young age how to recognise it so believe me when I say that I definitely don't get that impression from you at all.”

His approach to reassuring her was apparently the wrong one as she twisted to face him with a frown creasing her brow. “That's not something you're supposed to say so easily,” she chastised him, and he felt the golden light prod his mind in a similarly admonishing way.

He gave her a contrite look and shrugged somewhat guiltily. “Sorry, but that's how it was. Almost everyone who approached me had an agenda of their own and they didn't really try to hide it because they didn't think much of me as a person. To them, I was just 'the crown prince of Daxam', not 'Mon-El'. When I first realised that, it was... hard... to process but I just accepted it eventually and let them use me without letting myself think too much about it. It was easier that way. They got what they wanted and I enjoyed whatever they were doing to achieve their goals. Everybody won.”

“That's just wrong,” she protested. “On so many levels.”

“Like I said, that's how it was. And while I _am_ grateful that you care, it's in the past now so you shouldn't stress yourself out over it,” he said with a soft smile as he removed the hand he had been using as a pillow from under his head to tap her on the nose, earning him a squeak of protest and a half-hearted glare. “But back to what you were saying: I don't feel like you're using me or anything like that so you shouldn't feel that way either and I think the fact that you're even worried about this means you aren't actually doing it. Besides, you _have_ been taking care of me in your own way so we're kind of even if you really want to keep score.”

Her frown deepened. “I don't see how.”

Mon-El hummed thoughtfully as he stared up at the sky. “Well, you're constantly visiting and keeping me company, for one-”

“Because I want to see you too,” Kara cut him off. “That's hardly selfless.”

“It helps and I appreciate it either way,” he countered as he met her gaze again. “And you're also searching for a way to get me out of this place-”

“Without much success despite the amount of time I've had,” she mumbled guiltily as she looked away.

It was his turn to admonishingly poke the golden light. “We've had this conversation before,” he gently rebuked her while once again doing his best not to think about the subject too deeply. Unintelligible muttering was the only response he received, prompting him to sigh and let it go in favour of moving on. “Then there's you reading up on stuff you know I'd be interested in like Earth's ancient civilisations and telling me all about them. Gives me a lot to think about when you're not around.”

She met his gaze again, frown still in place. “All that involves is reading and regurgitating information to you. Not what I'd consider to be on the same level as what you do for me.”

“But you didn't have to,” he pointed out gently. “I never asked you to do that. You knew I love to learn about stuff like that and made the decision yourself to find the right books, spend your time memorising their contents just so you can pass them on to me and then discuss that information with me afterwards. You chose to do that for me all on your own simply because you thought I might like that and I just... I want you to know that I'm very grateful. More than words could possibly express.”

There was uncertainty in her bright blue eyes and the golden light but also a faint glimmer of hope. “...Really?”

“Really,” he repeated back to her with a warm grin. “I mean, I'm sure you've noticed that every now and then I bring up a theory I have about some of the mysteries involving all those ancient human monuments and whatnot you tell me about. It's not entirely out of nowhere; I spend some of my time here alone keeping myself busy thinking about that kind of stuff. So thank you for that.”

There was a period of silence as she searched his face and the golden light probed his mind for any signs of deception before she was satisfied and her expression eased. “You're welcome.”

Seeing an excellent opportunity to lighten the mood, he decided to take it. They both needed a bit of levity right now after all. “On that note,” he started as he feigned a look of serious contemplation, “I was thinking about the Sphinx and its missing nose again a while ago-”

Her expression, which had looked like it had been on the verge of turning content if not happy, morphed into one of hilarious dismay in the span of a heartbeat. “Oh Rao, not this again...”

“No, hear me out. I think I might have the answer this time-”

“Does it involve yet another nose joke or pun? It's another nose joke or pun, isn't it?”

“Well, no-”

“It better not be because I have had to listen to you make those _every single time_ you bring up this subject-”

“Not ' _every single time_ '-”

“ _-in six different languages-_ ”

“I'm just saying, it's perfectly reasonable to think that a stonemason who was doing some last-minute work might have sneezed-”

She closed her eyes and raised the hand entwined with his to cover her face as she let out an exasperated groan. “ _Mon-El..._ ”

The rest of his (admittedly joke) theory was on the tip of his tongue but he held back when he suddenly felt her body tense and the golden light gained a slightly distressed feel to it. “Time to wake up?” he guessed.

Kara kept her face covered with both their hands and nodded silently.

Mon-El shifted his trapped hand just enough so he could stroke her cheek with his thumb even as he sent a wave of comforting thoughts through the link. “You're going to be fine,” he reassured her when she finally pulled their hands away from her face and opened her eyes so that she could meet his gaze. “I'm here for you. And I think it's safe to say that so is everyone else out there in the real world. As for what I promised... just take things one day at a time for now, okay? We'll figure it out together like we always do.”

“I know.” She shifted her body to give him the best attempt at a hug she could manage without changing their current position too much. “I've said it before but I want to say it again: Thank you. For being in my life.”

“Thank you for being in mine,” he murmured as he brought his free arm around to hug her back.

The feel of her embrace and the golden light in his head lingered long after she disappeared.

 

* * *

 

She was ambushed, for lack of a better word, by Alex after she returned from the bathroom in the morning.

“We need to talk,” the girl said gravely, her face and tone leaving no room for argument.

Kara blinked. “Um. Okay?” Then her mind went into overdrive. “Wait, why are you being so serious? Should I be worried? You're not going to suggest we do something crazy, are you?” It occurred to her that it might be a little hypocritical of her to ask that considering what she herself had been planning yesterday but Mon-El had grounded her and if Alex was going to go down that path, she felt like it was her responsibility to do the same for her adoptive sister.

To her relief, Alex waved off her panic almost immediately. “No, it's nothing crazy, I promise. Mom and I had a... chat about that yesterday when she followed me outside. It's just...” The girl sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Mom's already having a rough time dealing with Dad being... busy... and raising the two of us by herself isn't going to be easy. It's not like we can do anything on the money side of things for obvious reasons but I figured... well... we could try and help out around the house or something. You know, make things easier for her however we can.”

The reminder of all the drastic changes the Danvers household were likely to undergo due to this one incident weighed heavily on Kara's mind. “I-”

Alex shot her a glare. “Please tell me you're not going to start apologising again or saying this is all your fault. I'll get mad if you do.”

“But-” Kara tried to protest.

“No 'buts',” Alex cut her off angrily as she jabbed a finger in Kara's face. “Just be quiet and follow my plan.”

Kara opened her mouth to argue but held her tongue at the last second when Alex's glare intensified. “Okay,” she finally sighed defeatedly. “What does this plan of yours involve?”

Satisfied that she had won the battle for the time being at the very least, Alex simply shrugged. “The usual, you know. Like cooking our meals and stuff.”

Both of Kara's eyebrows reached for the sky. “Sorry, what? Did you just say 'cooking'?”

“What, you got a problem with that?” Alex retorted defensively. “We eat three meals a day – two on school days, I know, but still – minus dessert; making those meals is the part of our daily lives that takes up most of Mom's time and effort aside from her work. Plus, she used to have Dad's help whenever he was available. It only makes sense that we learn to help her out with that if we want to make things easier for her.”

“Well, yes, but...” Kara sputtered as she tried to reason with her adoptive sister. “Aren't you being a little too ambitious right out of the gate? I mean, the closest either of us have ever come to cooking something is making toast. Which, in case I have to remind you, involves just putting bread in the toaster. Why don't we start with something a little easier? Like... I don't know, washing the car?”

Once again, Alex merely waved off her concerns and headed for the door. “The car only gets washed like every two weeks or so. On the other hand, we have to eat every single day so cooking it is. Besides, how hard can it be?”

Kara felt like discovering the answer to that question was going to be difficult for everyone involved but kept her mouth shut and followed Alex downstairs where she could hear Eliza talking to Kal-El who had decided to stay the night.

As expected, breakfast was already prepared and on the table by the time they arrived in the kitchen – something which seemed to disappoint Alex judging by the look on her face. If she had to guess, the girl had likely wanted to try making breakfast that morning. Kara immediately uttered a silent word of thanks to Rao... and then felt guilty about it. There was no evidence to suggest that Alex would be a terrible cook, after all, and having such thoughts about her adoptive sister's unproven culinary skills seemed unnecessarily mean. (In all fairness, she had doubts about her own cooking abilities as well. After all, every meal on Krypton had been prepared by robots and she hadn't exactly bothered to spend any of her admittedly scarce free time learning that particular skill in all her time on Earth.)

Even so, she felt a little vindicated when Eliza's first reaction upon hearing Alex's proposal over breakfast that she and Kara cook lunch was frown.

“Not that I don't appreciate the offer,” the Danvers matriarch started carefully, “but where is this coming from, if you don't mind me asking?”

“Kara and I want to help out around the house,” Alex replied easily. “Cooking takes up a lot of time so it only makes sense that we help out in that area if we really want to make things easier for you.”

“Yes, well, I'm very touched, girls, but-” Eliza started, clearly torn between looking happy and worried.

“I think that's a wonderful idea,” Kal-El cut in with a wide smile. “How about you rest today, Eliza, and I'll teach them-”

“Hell no!” Alex cut him off angrily. “I'm not going to learn from you, jackass!”

“Alex, please!” Eliza scolded her daughter to no avail.

Kara winced; Alex clearly still hadn't decided to forgive Kal-El for what she perceived as his failure to help fix their current situation. The rest of yesterday had been awkward, to say the least, what with the girl giving her cousin the cold shoulder all the way until everyone had decided to retire for the night.

Judging by what was going on right now, the animosity was still very much alive.

“Alex, maybe we should-” she tried to reason with the girl only to cut herself off when she found herself on the receiving end of Alex's glare.

“Okay, how about this?” Eliza spoke up, clearly eager to bring an end to the brewing dispute before it could escalate any further. “Alex, Kara, let me at least teach you the basics before-”

“Mom, that defeats the purpose,” Alex complained. “Teaching us is still going to take up your time and energy. Besides, we can handle ourselves.”

They were at an impasse.

As expected, it was Kal-El who broke the ensuing silence with a polite cough. “If I may suggest a solution that I think everyone can agree on?” he offered and waited until he had everyone else's attention before continuing. “Eliza, I'm sure you can allow the girls to try and cook something simple on their own like... a fried egg without any supervision at least once. You and I will be in the next room, after all; I'm sure everything will be just fine.”

“...Well, all right,” Eliza finally conceded although she didn't quite look convinced that this was the wise thing to do. “Just... stick to something simple, okay?”

“Yes!” Alex cheered and dragged Kara into the kitchen without a backward glance. “Everything will be just fine, Mom, I promise!”

Kara had the faint suspicion that Alex was the only one who believed that.

“Okay, so.” Alex scanned the kitchen purposefully. “What should we cook?”

“You know neither of us have done this before, right?” Kara reminded her carefully, eager to avoid any disasters. “Let's just do like Clark suggested and see if we can at least fry an egg on our own.”

Alex frowned, clearly unhappy with the idea of doing anything Kal-El had suggested, but eventually conceded. “Fine. You get the pan out while I get an egg from the fridge.”

“...Are you really sure we can do this?” Kara asked dubiously as she eyed the egg in Alex's hand which was poised over the pan she had placed on the stove.

“It's just a fried egg, Kara,” Alex said dismissively. “Crack the egg, fry it and we're done. Easy as pie.”

Then she cracked the egg cleanly.

Or tried to, at least.

The two girls eyed the mess.

“...I don't think fried eggs are supposed to have eggshells in them,” Kara pointed out slowly. “Or any recipe involving eggs. Or any recipe period, in fact.”

“I know, Kara,” Alex ground out.

“I mean, I know calcium is good for you but-”

“ _Shut up, Kara._ Just... help me pick out the pieces. We can salvage this.”

“If you say so...”

Once they were done, they went back to eyeing what was left of the egg.

“...So. Time to fry it.” Kara's gaze bounced between Alex and the pan's contents. If she was being honest with herself, she was starting to get really nervous. If they couldn't even crack an egg properly...

Alex, however, was undaunted. “Right. Well, frying stuff involves oil and fire, right?”

With that, she poured what she presumed was a suitable amount of oil on the egg and turned on the stove to the max.

The egg promptly burst into flames.

 

* * *

 

After the clean-up which required more time than expected due to the additional task of removing the ice left behind by Kara's panicked use of her freeze breath, the two girls were gently but firmly told they were not to use the kitchen without supervision ever again.

“...I hate to say 'I told you so' but-”

“ _Shut. Up. Kara._ ”

 

* * *

 

Later in the afternoon, the Danvers residence welcomed two more visitors carrying one nondescript bag each.

“I didn't think you would come,” Kal-El admitted albeit with a warm smile on his face as he embraced the elderly man who had walked through the door while the old woman accompanying him closed the door behind them before quietly greeting Eliza.

“The situation warranted it,” the mystery man replied gruffly, and something about the voice made Kara narrow her eyes. It sounded so familiar... It couldn't be...

“...Bruce?” she blurted out in disbelief.

A laugh escaped the old woman at that and Kara didn't know if she was supposed to be surprised or not that it didn't sound old at all. “Told you she'd figure it out almost immediately,” said the woman who she realised also sounded rather familiar.

“Kara, who are these people?” Alex asked as she eyed the 'elderly' couple in the living room. It was possible that the only reason she wasn't being more overtly suspicious was the noticeable lack of questions coming from her mother who seemed to have been expecting these strangers.

“It's not like I was planning on maintaining the disguise the entire time we're going to be here,” the man grumbled as he reached for his clunky glasses. “You know as well as I do that I only insisted on this to avoid being identified on our way here.”

“Seriously, can someone please give me some an-”

The rest of Alex's demand died on her lips when the 'elderly' couple began removing their disguises and shrugging off their frumpy clothes to reveal a well-dressed and much younger man and woman.

“You're... You're Bruce Wayne,” she gaped openly, frozen on the spot and looking for all the world like she was going to pass out on the spot. Then she turned to stare at the woman. “And you must be Selina Kyle.”

“Hi, Bruce,” Kara whispered as she accepted a hug from the man before turning to greet his companion in a similar fashion. “And you too, Selina. You didn't have to come.”

“Please, you can't seriously have expected us not to drop by after hearing what happened,” Selina chastised Kara lightly as she returned the hug. “For the record, we would've arrived sooner except _someone_ insisted on this ridiculous charade...”

“I told you, Selina. It was a necessary counter-surveillance tactic-”

“...complete with fake identification...”

“We already know they've been watching this house. There's a chance they might do a check-”

“...and _falsified travel records_. _Among other things._ Seriously, the only part I thought made sense was coming up with an excuse for why we were going to be out of sight in Gotham today.”

“You're friends with _Bruce Wayne_.” Alex, who had managed to recover somewhat from her shock during the little argument, turned to stare accusingly at Kara. “You've been friends with one of the richest people on this planet for how long _and you never told me_?”

Kara shrugged guiltily and shuffled her feet. “It didn't exactly come up in conversation,” she feebly tried to defend herself. Besides, the wealth thing had never really registered with her; it was hard to be impressed when she happened to be best friends with someone who, as the crown prince of an entire planet, had been heir to a fortune so large he could buy an entire vacation planet if he liked and have plenty of money to spare.

“That's not an excuse!” Alex fired back as she jabbed a finger in Kara's face while the adults watched them in silent amusement. “How? When? _How?_ Answers!”

A resigned sigh escaped Kara. “Well, if you must know...”

The answers, while kept simple to avoid treading on the more personal details of their acquaintanceship, still rendered Alex semi-catatonic.

“Perhaps we should adjourn to the living room,” Eliza finally spoke up as she ushered her daughter along, a fond smile dancing on her lips.

“Alfred regrets that he couldn't come himself,” Bruce supplied as everyone did as Eliza suggested, placing the bag he had been carrying on the coffee table and pulling out a rather large container once everyone had taken a seat. “But he did send an apology gift to make up for it.”

When he opened the container, the most divine aroma filled the room.

“Alfred's special triple chocolate fudge cookies,” Selina explained as she quickly swiped a cookie and took a bite despite Bruce's half-hearted protests. “Just so you know, he only makes these under extremely special circumstances so savour them as much as you can.”

“ _Oh god._ ” Alex's moan was muffled due to her mouth being full of chocolatey goodness. “What does he put in these things?”

“He'll probably take that secret to his grave,” Selina commented wryly. “By the way, I'd advise going easy on those. One is enough to add a whole inch to your waistline.”

“No worries,” Kara mumbled through her mouthful of cookie as she reached for another piece of heaven. “Alien metabolism.”

“Show-off,” Alex muttered jealously as she watched the two Kryptonians present help themselves to seconds without even the slightest bit of hesitation. Apparently even Kal-El couldn't resist the temptation.

It was at that moment that Bruce cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to him. “Kara, if I may have a word in private when you're done?”

There was no doubt as to what he wanted to speak about yet despite the slight feeling of dread creeping up on her, Kara still followed him out of the living room, all the while feeling Alex's gaze boring holes into her back.

“First of all, I want to say that I am sorry that you had to go through this,” he started the moment she closed the door to the guest room behind her.

“I think Eliza and Alex need to hear that more than me,” she mumbled, staring at her feet.

“Kara.” He didn't continue until she raised her gaze to meet his. “You can't measure your pain against theirs like it's a mathematical equation. It doesn't work like that. I know, remember? I've been down this road before.”

“Have you?” she blurted out before she could stop herself. “Lost someone. After.” There was no need to elaborate beyond that.

“Jeremiah's not dead, Kara,” he gently reminded her.

“You didn't answer the question,” she pressed.

He let out a heavy sigh, and in that moment he seemed so much older than his physical age. “Yes.”

“Oh.”

There was a long period of silence before either of them said anything more. It was perhaps unsurprising that Bruce was the one who spoke first. “I blamed myself for a long time. Nearly made choices I would definitely have regretted afterwards. But I had my family. They stopped me from making those mistakes.” A dry chuckle escaped him. “Selina didn't hold back. I think it's one of the few times Alfred ever approved of someone beating me up.”

“I see.” It was not that different from what Mon-El had done for her although he had naturally chosen a less physical means of accomplishing his objective.

“I can't promise results but I will try to see what I can learn about Jeremiah's situation,” he continued after another long pause. “At the very least, I'll be able to keep you all updated about his assignments so that you don't have to worry too much. For what it's worth, I suspect that he will be stuck in a lab for the most part since the whole reason they... 'recruited' him was his knowledge.”

Kara did her best to blink away her tears. “I... I don't know how to thank you.”

Bruce offered her a faint smile and stepped closer so that he could rest a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Just... stay strong. Be there for Eliza and Alex when they need you. And remember that we're all here for you when you need us.”

She made a valiant effort to return the smile although the result might have fallen a little flat in the end. “I'll try.”

A knock on the door brought an end to the moment and they both turned at the sound of it opening to find Selina poking her head in. “Is it my turn? Please tell me it's already my turn. Because Alex has been hounding me about our 'adventures' since the second you left the room and unless you want me to start teaching her how to use a whip as a way to distract her, you had better switch with me this very second.”

The look on Bruce's face was probably the closest thing to an expression of panic that Kara would ever see on his face. It was actually kind of funny. “No, please. I'll talk to her.”

Selina smiled, and the curl of her lips made Kara realise just how appropriate the woman's chosen name for her alter-ego was. “Perfect. By the way, she's also been asking for lessons on how to knock a guy out in one punch and I figured... well, who better to teach her than Batman?”

Judging by Bruce's current expression, he had just realised that he'd walked right into a trap. “You put the idea in her head, didn't you?”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.” Selina didn't even try to sound convincing as she stepped inside to usher him out, all the while pointedly ignoring his grumbling, before turning her attention to Kara. “How about we go to your room? I hear you have a cat and I'd consider it a huge loss if I didn't get to meet him before we left.”

St'rki, who had decided to hide upstairs like usual whenever there were strangers in the house, seemed to have no issues when one such stranger waltzed into his private domain, picked him up and began fussing over him. Kara supposed she shouldn't have expected anything less of someone who had such a strong affinity for felines but there was no helping the feeling of betrayal the sight inspired in her.

“Traitor,” she muttered accusingly at her cat.

The only response she got was a very long and contented purr.

“The box in the bag is for you,” Selina spoke up without looking up from the ball of fur on her lap, drawing Kara's attention back to the woman. “Bring it over here and we can start the lesson whenever you're ready.”

Lesson? Intrigued, Kara did as she was told and when she opened the box, she found...

“...Locks?”

“And a lock-pick set,” Selina finished. “Open it up and pick up the lock with the clear casing; I'm going to teach you how to pick locks.”

“Not that I don't appreciate it, but... um... why?” Kara asked even as she dutifully followed Selina's instructions.

“Because it's a useful skill. Yes, I know you can just crush one of these things to dust if you really needed to get past them but sometimes a lighter touch is the better option,” Selina replied. “Also I suck at speeches.”

“Oh.” A beat of silence passed, punctuated only by St'rki's purring, and Kara tried to split her attention between her given task and the woman who had given said task to her. “You don't have to, you know.”

“I wanted to. Wouldn't be here otherwise.” Selina let out a somewhat frustrated sound. “Look, I'm going to be brutally honest here. I won't try to say I understand what you're going through – what you've been through, for that matter – because that would be lying. We're very different kinds of people too so I won't try and advise you on how to deal with it either. I'm going to leave that up to someone who gets you better than I do.”

Kara blinked, unused to this level and type of frankness. “Thank you. I think.”

“But,” Selina continued, “as someone who was forced to survive on the streets of Gotham on her own for years after her mother left her when she was five... as someone who spends nearly every night of her adult life making sure her boyfriend doesn't get killed in his impossible quest to rid Gotham of crime, I can tell you this: There is no big battle to win in life that will give you that fairytale happy ending. It's all about the small victories. A hot meal. Not dying. Gotham not getting blown up. Alfred making hot chocolate. A would-be mugger getting his jaw shattered. Ivy's plants being turned into mulch. Those get you through the day. And the next. And so on. And along the way, you'll find you're actually happy because you're able to appreciate those small things.”

Just then, there was a click and the lock in Kara's hand opened. Stunned, all she could do was stare at the object in her hands; if she was being honest with herself, she had not been expecting to succeed at all. “I... I did it.”

Selina grinned and pointed at the lock with one hand, prompting St'rki to protest the halving of his pampering. “That's what I mean. Small victories. Once you're confident enough, you can move on to the other lock. It's a special one – Bruce made it for me to keep me from going insane that one time I was stuck in bed recovering from a bullet in the leg. See that button on the side? It creates a new sequence every time you press it. Keep practising and once you think you can handle something more difficult, I'll send over something more complex.”

“A-Are you sure? I mean, Bruce made this for you...” Kara tried to argue.

Selina merely waved off her protests. “There's no sentimental value to it. Besides, Bruce will make me another one the moment I ask. I've had him wrapped around my little finger since we were teenagers.”

“I object to that description.” Both of them turned towards the door where they found Bruce looking rather... sulky. It was borderline bizarre.

“Only because you know it's true,” Selina countered breezily. “Now please tell me you're not just here to eavesdrop because that would be rude.”

“I was not eavesdropping,” he corrected her stiffly. “I merely happened to overhear your last statement by chance when I came up to call you. We're unfortunately going to have to cut our visit short. GCPD just received a riddle.”

“Eddie,” Selina groaned tiredly. “For someone so smart, he really does have a terrible sense of timing. Well, back to Gotham it is. Sorry, Kara.”

“It's fine,” Kara said with a shake of her head. “I'm grateful you made the time to visit in the first place.”

“It was no trouble. We wanted to finally meet you too so there's that.” She scratched St'rki's ears one last time before putting him back on the bed. “Sorry to you too, handsome.”

St'rki meowed grumpily and Kara once again felt the sting of betrayal.

Surprisingly, it was Alex who seemed the most sorry to see Bruce and Selina go, making Kara wonder just what her adoptive sister had been up to while she had been talking to each of them. (“Drop by whenever you're in Gotham, Kara; I'll teach you how to crack a safe then. We'll practise on Bruce's.” “Selina, can you please not train my cousin to become a supervillain?”) In any case, the girl seemed to be in a much better mood compared to before the visit to the point that she actually spoke to Kal-El without yelling at him in the evening.

She still bristled when Kal-El none-too-subtly 'suggested' that the task of preparing dinner be left to him and Eliza however.

“Who needs to learn how to cook these days anyway?” Alex muttered under her breath as they laid the table. “That's why we have microwaves and takeout.”

Kara decided it was best not to respond to that.

Nevertheless, dinner that night was a much warmer affair compared to yesterday. Jeremiah's absence was still felt but did not weigh as heavily on everyone present as it did before and some measure of civil conversation even ensued. (Alex had a bit of revenge when Kal-El accidentally let slip that he liked one of his co-workers by the name of Lois and she all but bullied him about it for the rest of the night. Unluckily for him and much to Alex's glee, Eliza's idea of 'helping' involved giving him relationship advice.)

The wounds were still relatively fresh, but Kara was beginning to believe that they would pull through in the end. They could all be strong as long as they had each other.

It was, after all, her family motto.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Kara did when she arrived in the dream world was run up to Mon-El and hug him as tightly as she could.

“Oof.” Barely a second passed before he returned the hug and she felt the familiar blue-grey energy flow into her head the moment he rested his hand on the back of her head. “Is this a bad day hug or a good day hug?”

“Something in the middle,” she mumbled into his chest as she let herself all but melt into his embrace. “I'm just glad to see you.”

“I don't want to sound like I'm bragging but you're always glad to see me,” he pointed out bemusedly. “Did something happen?”

“Bruce and Selina dropped by.”

“That's nice of them.”

“Yeah. Bruce said he would try to look into what the DEO is making Jeremiah do and keep us updated although he said we shouldn't worry so much because they'll probably keep him in a research role.”

“Makes sense. You know, I'm starting to doubt that he's friends with your idiot cousin. He sounds too intelligent.”

She pinched him.

“ _Ow._ ”

“Are you ever going to stop calling Kal-El an idiot?”

“Maybe the day you're able to prove to me that he's not an idiot.”

“You'd never believe me even if I did manage to find undeniable proof.”

“Smart girl.”

She pinched him again and ignored his grunt of pain. “Selina gave me some good advice and taught me how to pick locks.”

“...'Pick'? Not hack?”

“They have manual non-electronic locks.”

“Right, right. I forgot how primitive Earth is.”

That earned him another painful pinch.

“Okay, you are _really_ violent tonight.”

“Only because you deserve it.”

“We'll just have to agree to disagree on that. By the way, mind explaining why I'm getting this strange feeling that you're not telling me something?”

“...I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Crinkle.”

“ _You can't even see my face right now._ ”

“I'm not hearing an actual denial. So out with it.”

“...Alex and I thought we'd try to help Eliza around the house by cooking.”

“...And...?”

“...We... um... nearly burned down the kitchen.”

A great guffaw escaped him and this time he didn't even react when she pinched him. “Oh, this is beyond amazing. We've found something you're utterly terrible at doing.”

“Oh shut up. I don't want to hear this from someone who's probably never even seen the inside of a kitchen his entire life.”

“For the record, I used to sneak into the royal kitchen every now and then to steal food either to eat or to use in my pranks so _ha_. You're wrong.”

“That doesn't negate my argument. When the day you find yourself having to learn how to cook finally arrives, I bet you'd be an absolute disaster.”

“And I bet I'd be an amazing cook so there. Something else we'll have to agree to disagree about.”

There was a pause before he spoke again.

“I'm glad.”

She pulled away just enough so that she could look into his eyes. “What about?”

He smiled softly at her and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You seem... better compared to your last visit. Calmer.”

Despite the still-lingering pain and guilt lurking at the back of her mind, his words were somehow able to coax a smile out of her. “Thanks to you and everyone else.”

His smile widened. “You're smiling.” He said it like it was something wondrous. “I was worried I wouldn't see that smile for a long while. Or ever again.”

“I have you.” The admission came easily from the bottom of her heart and Kara buried her face in his chest again to hide her flushed cheeks even as she took comfort in the soothing presence of the blue-grey energy coiling lazily around her own thoughts. “And everyone else. Things are going to be okay eventually. I can believe that now.”

She felt Mon-El tighten his embrace. “That's good. I'm happy to hear that.”

“It's like you said,” she murmured. “One day at a time.”

“One day at a time,” he echoed.

Tomorrow awaited just around the corner with all its painful reminders and worrying uncertainties. But for now, she was going to focus on this one not-so-small moment and others like it to keep her from faltering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...So. I hope that was enough non-angst for you guys. And see? I kept my promise! No threats of breaking the bond! Which means no need for those pitchforks! Hahahahaha!
> 
> (hides master plan somewhere no one can find it)


	10. Retread

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passes and life goes on as new events and faces resurrect past acts and regrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know about you guys but all I can think about is the next episode of Supergirl. KARAMEL ROADTRIP TO ARGO CITY, PEOPLE! MOTHER-DAUGHTER REUNION! MEET THE PARENT 2.0! HOW CAN YOU NOT BE EXCITED?!
> 
> On the other hand, I'm already stressed out enough as it is trying to figure out how I'm going to rewrite this plothole-ridden season when I finally reach this part in my fic and I really didn't need such a major curveball being thrown in my face. THANKS, WRITERS! (That was sarcasm.)
> 
> What am I forgetting... Oh right, something to say about this chapter. Guess who's making their debut? (You'll never guess. Mwahahahaha.)

It was, upon reflection, much different this time around.

Although she had been intellectually aware that it was happening at the time, the loss of her home planet along with the death of her parents had been arguably too sudden for it to have sunk in completely until later when Mon-El had encouraged her to let it all out. She had been able to say goodbye to her parents before they had been taken away from her forever. The burden of that loss had been hers to carry alone for years from that twenty-four year-long eternity to the time she had spent on Earth due to Kal-El not having the same level of emotional attachment to what and who had been lost that she did. She had felt guilt – still did, in fact – at having survived while millions had perished simply because her parents had had the foresight to prepare a way for her to escape but, as Mon-El pointed out, she could not be faulted for the destruction of her planet.

With Jeremiah, she had been fully aware of what was going on in that moment on both an intellectual and emotional level – perhaps more the latter than the former, even. With the way her life had been held at ransom in exchange for his cooperation, she had been denied the chance to say goodbye. (A small voice at the back of her head pointed out it had been more important for him to say goodbye to Eliza and Alex compared to her. It made her wonder if even wanting this made her selfish.) Another difference, as Bruce had pointed out, was that Jeremiah was not dead; he had been ripped from his family, yes, but he was still alive somewhere, wherever that was. The loss was not hers alone to bear and objectively speaking, she was not in fact the one who felt it the most. Eliza had lost her husband and Alex had lost her father; she, on the other hand, was simply someone who had been invited and allowed to stay with them. The guilt, however, was all hers; it was her presence in their lives which had led to this situation, making her solely responsible for it.

Alex would probably have hit her for that last thought. And hurt herself in the process.

Mon-El, on the other hand, would have just given her that sad look of his that always made her feel a little guilty as he patiently did his best to convince her it was not her fault, all the while using their mental connection to ease her mind. (It almost counted as cheating, if she thought about it, but she didn't actually feel compelled to complain.)

Luckily for her, she had learned not to voice those thoughts around Alex so it was easy to avoid that particular situation.

Unluckily for her, Mon-El knew her too well and could always tell when she lapsed, for lack of a better word, and began to dwell on the matter. (It probably helped that he could quite literally see the state of her mind the moment he initiated the link.)

Kara found it gradually easier to let those thoughts go as the days passed, however.

The trick, she discovered, was to keep herself occupied.

Mon-El helped as he always did in his usual way, whether it was a friendly game of Garata which usually got quite heated due to her competitive streak or a ridiculous discussion of yet another of his ridiculous theories involving one of Earth's ancient civilisations. He always seemed to know when she needed a distraction and when quietude was the better option, being so attuned to her that sometimes she wondered if their bond had evolved to the point where they could feel each other's emotions on a subconscious level.

Out in the real world, she followed Bruce's advice and did her best to support Eliza and Alex in any way she could. Having learned their lesson from their first attempt at cooking which Alex henceforth referred to as That Thing We Will Never Discuss Again On Pain of Death (I Mean It, Kara), the two girls settled on less hazardous ways of helping Eliza around the house. Chores were shared or divided fairly amongst themselves and covered everything from washing the car to taking out the trash.

Eliza was understandably touched when they first proposed their detailed plan complete with a chore schedule and said that she could not be prouder to call both of them her daughters.

There might have been some tears. (Alex vehemently denied it.)

It was perhaps due to their dedication that after a while Eliza decided it would be a good idea both as a Danvers bonding session and the acquisition of a useful life skill to try and teach them how to cook.

Kara stared. “Um... Eliza...” she started hesitantly, “not that I wouldn't mind learning but... don't you remember what happened the last time?”

The words had barely left her lips before the chair she was sitting on was viciously kicked. “Shut up, Kara!” Alex hissed. “I thought we agreed never to bring that up again!”

“I'm pretty sure you just announced that we would never discuss it ever again – on pain of death, I recall – and never actually bothered to ask me what I thought.”

“Oh, like you actually want to remember because last I checked, _you_ were just as responsible-”

“Girls!” Eliza's exasperated exclamation cut short their argument and they both turned to find the Danvers matriarch wearing an expression of fond exasperation. “Cooking lessons mean I will be supervising the both of you and I think we can all agree that one of the biggest problems last time was that you were trying to do something neither of you had any experience doing with no one present to tell you where you were going wrong. With that in mind, I'd like to think that things will turn out differently this time around. So how about it?”

Kara and Alex eyed each other. “Well... okay...” Kara answered slowly. Alex shrugged.

“Excellent.” Eliza clapped her hands. “Now, we'll start with something very simple first just to get the both of you used to moving around the kitchen and go from there. How do pancakes sound?” she asked, and received nods of agreement in response.

Absolutely no one mentioned fried eggs, and for that everyone was incredibly grateful.

In an effort to avoid as much potential missteps as possible, Eliza decided to use every box of instant pancake mix she had in the house and refrained from adding anything else to the recipe.

It turned out to be the right choice as both Alex and Kara ended up stirring their batches of pancake mix a little too vigorously and blobs of the batter ended up spattering all over every surface of the kitchen. Including the ceiling in Kara's case.

Eliza tried not to take it as a sign of how things would turn out in the next stage.

Sadly for her, her fervent wishes went unanswered once the baking began.

The one good thing that came out of all the smoke and burnt pancakes was that after possibly her twentieth try, Kara finally managed to produce an edible pancake.

Meanwhile, Alex continued to consistently produce slabs of charcoal.

Kara may or may not have gloated.

Alex may or may not have thrown one of her slabs of charcoal at Kara's head. Which she dodged, naturally.

A food fight ensued and Eliza barely managed to escape the war zone in time, having decided to let the girls have their bit of fun especially in light of their overall situation.

She still made them clean up the kitchen afterwards until it was spotless though.

Time passed as everyone adjusted to the new routine. Eliza showed her appreciation for her daughters' efforts by occasionally allowing them to slide when it came to obeying house rules just a little. Kara gradually improved on her lock-picking skills and eventually reached a point where she was confident enough to request a new challenge from Selina. Alex began showing a vested interest in studying the sciences after deciding to follow in her father's footsteps.

Life, with all its ups and downs, went on.

 

* * *

 

In hindsight, Alex thought that she should have expected this.

Midvale was a small place where everyone knew everyone and word spread quickly, after all, but she had never once thought that those two things, coupled with people's apparently general tendency to be asses, would ever impact her life.

Until today.

“How long have you known about this?”

Vicki squirmed and refused to meet her gaze. “Alex-”

“ _How long, Vicki?_ ” Alex snapped, cutting her off.

Seeing no way out of this, Vicki sighed tiredly. “About a week at least as far as I know.”

It took all of her effort not to slam her curled fists into the nearest hard surface. “You're supposed to be my best friend,” Alex hissed. “ _You're supposed to tell me these things._ ”

“What would that have accomplished?” Vicki asked, half irritated and half apologetic. “You know how rumours are; people forget them over time. I was hoping they'd go away before you ever found out. I know it's already been rough on you, Alex. It didn't seem like something you needed to know.”

All pretext of self-control went out the window when Alex brought one of her fists crashing down on the table, causing Vicki to flinch. “ _Someone has been spreading lies about my dad leaving my mom for some... some... waitress named Teri and you thought I didn't need to know about it?!_ ”

Her outburst had drawn stares and a chorus of hushed whispers erupted around her but Alex didn't care. She was too livid to give a damn. All she could focus on was the idea of finding the person responsible and knocking out their teeth. What her family was going through was something painful that they couldn't share with anyone else due to their unique situation and someone thought it would be funny to take advantage of that lack of information to slander her dad? And she was supposed to just let it be?

_Like. Hell._

“Who started the rumour?” she demanded harshly.

A look of panicked worry crossed Vicki's face. “Alex, please don't do anything crazy-”

“ _Who started it, Vicki?_ ”

“...Jake Howell,” Vicki finally whispered defeatedly after a long pause. “It was Jake.”

Jake Howell. Of course. Midvale's own star quarterback and the biggest dumbest jock to ever exist as far as Alex was concerned. He had mostly avoided becoming a target of Kara's pranks simply because he had not done anything serious enough to warrant it. Crude jokes and idiotic stunts just made him a brainless jackass, not an outright bully.

Clearly that was an oversight. One that Alex intended to fix immediately.

The look on her face must have been terrifying indeed as everyone was quick to get out of her way when she stormed towards the locker rooms where she knew she would find her target.

“Hey Danvers,” he called out, sporting a stupid cocky grin on his face when she finally found him exactly where she expected, “did you come for a little peep show?”

She didn't bother to respond. Not verbally, anyway.

All she did was put Bruce's quick lesson to good use and punch his lights out with one swing.

Her hand hurt like hell but she couldn't deny how satisfying it was to see him crumple to the ground like a wet tissue paper and stay there. “When he wakes up,” she addressed his stunned friends, “tell him that he better keep his stupid mouth shut about me and my family from now on or I'll tell everyone that a girl half his size – namely me – took him out with a single punch. And for that matter, all of you had better keep your mouths shut about this too or you're going to end up like Jake here.”

She didn't bother to stick around to listen to their response and left to find her sister.

As usual, she found Kara sitting at her favourite secluded table all alone reading one of her books. The girl didn't even react when Alex stomped up to her even though Alex knew that with her enhanced hearing, Kara had known she was coming a figurative mile away.

“You heard?” Alex asked in lieu of a greeting, not even bothering to elaborate.

Kara didn't even look up. “I heard,” she replied neutrally. “I didn't want to eavesdrop but it was hard not to with the way you were yelling at Vicki.”

Only someone with Kara's abilities could say that when the conversation had happened halfway across the school and actually mean it. “So?” Alex pressed.

“So what?” Kara asked evenly as she flipped a page. “You punched Jake. Bruce would be impressed, I think.”

Alex resisted the urge to raise her voice just in case someone overheard them. “You know very well what I'm asking about.”

“The reason no one is able to figure out who the prankster is, Alex,” Kara answered, her eyes still trained on the book in front of her, “is because there are always no clear suspects. If something happens to Jake, it'll be obvious who was behind it.”

Alex stared. “Are you telling me you're not going to do _anything_?”

The book slammed shut, and the suddenness of the action momentarily snapped Alex out of her anger. “Do you think I _don't_ want to do something about it, Alex?” Kara all but snarled as she pressed a hand on the table and the wood underneath her palm creaked ominously.

It was moments like this that Alex remembered just how powerful Kara actually was despite looking like a normal human teenager... and just how much self-control the girl had – that she _had_ to have – over both her powers and her emotions. As angry as she was – as angry as they both clearly were –, it was probably not a good idea for Kara to act even without the threat of being exposed as the school's legendary prankster. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “It's just... I guess punching Jake is enough.” She eyed Kara carefully. “Are you really not going to do anything?” she asked, unsure what kind of answer she wanted to hear.

An unreadable expression crossed Kara's face. “I have to sleep on it,” she replied cryptically.

 

* * *

 

“...So.” Mon-El kept stroking her hair with the hand not currently entwined with hers. “Ready to tell me what happened today?”

A long silence ensued similar to the one that had preceded it and the golden light swirling in his head retained a tinge of anger despite his best efforts to soothe it. He was worried, to say the least, and was about to ask if she wanted to do something else instead of just lie down on the grass before she finally answered him. “This human boy at school named Jake... He's been spreading rumours that Jeremiah isn't around because... because he left Eliza for another woman.”

“Ah.” He paused as he tried to figure out the right thing to say. “I can't tell if he's mean or just dumb.”

“Both,” came Kara's quick and somewhat bitter response, eliciting a chuckle out of him despite himself. “Alex punched him, by the way.”

The corners of his lips curled. “Sounds like Alex all right.” Then his grin dimmed. “And you?”

Another beat of silence ensued. “...Me what?”

So this was what had been weighing on her mind. “You want to do something about it, don't you?”

She buried her face in his chest as both her body and the golden light tensed. “I can't,” she mumbled. “You know why.”

“Mm. It would be too obvious that it was you.”

“And...” she faltered, and he waited patiently for her to continue. Something told him that whatever she was about to say was the real reason she was hesitating. “It's too... personal. It would count as seeking revenge – more than the past cases. For something relatively trivial, even.”

“...Because it was just a rumour,” he finished. “No one got hurt – not in any way that would warrant... well, the usual response.”

Her grip tightened almost painfully. “Yeah.”

“...But you can't let it go. Even though you know you should.”

Guilt. Somehow, he wasn't surprised to find a sliver of it in the golden light. “...Does that make me a bad person?”

Mon-El squeezed her hand reassuringly. “No, it's... well, normal.”

Silence descended upon them again and lingered until Kara brought it to an end. “I should just let it go, shouldn't I?”

He hummed as he tried to figure out a solution to her current dilemma. “Well... we could... you know... compromise, I guess.”

That got her to shift so she could meet his gaze. “What does that even mean?”

Shrugging ever so slightly, he said a silent prayer to Rao that he wasn't giving her horrible advice that they would both come to regret. “I mean... sometimes it's better to be a little sneakier, you know? And... well, people sometimes have really bad luck.” He gave her a meaningful look. “Do you get where I'm going with this?”

She furrowed her brows. “Are you suggesting that instead of pulling one attention-grabbing prank on Jake, I should just pull a series of small-scale pranks on him that on the surface appear to be unfortunate incidents?”

“Nothing serious or noteworthy,” he insisted. “Just small things to inconvenience him. If we do this right – and we will, naturally –, no one will realise he's being targeted by a genius prankster. Your secret will be safe. And as for it being something trivial... look at it this way: Even if it was just a rumour, it was incredibly mean-spirited and unwarranted. If he did it once, he can do it again. For all you know, he's done this in the past; you just never noticed until now. That makes this Jake boy no different from Belinda and all the other humans you've targeted with your pranks before this. So... what do you say?”

There was a long period of silence as she stared at him and he could feel her thoughts swirling around his in his head before she finally gave him a hesitant nod. “All right.”

“All right,” he echoed, his lips curling ever so slightly. “Then let's get started.”

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Kara dialled a number that had 'mysteriously' gotten added to her list of contacts without her noticing the day Bruce and Selina had dropped by.

“Hi Selina,” she said without preamble, “do you have any tips on how to get past a combination lock? You know, the kind used for school lockers?”

On the other end of the line, a smile slowly formed on Selina's face.

 

* * *

 

A few days after Alex had delivered her warning, Jake found himself experiencing a run of bad luck. There seemed to be no real pattern or explanation to it; nothing just seemed to go right for him. Random items, ranging from pens to a textbook in one instance, went missing. His gym shirt got torn when he opened his locker one day and a jagged edge snagged the material. The chair he chose to sit on in Calculus gave out under him in the middle of class.

Being an athlete which everyone knew was the most superstitious group of people on the planet, he began doubling down on his rituals in an effort to combat his terrible luck. Unfortunately for him, nothing seemed to work and his game began to suffer a little as a result. (Kara did feel a little guilty about that unintended consequence.)

Alex was of course the only one with any reason to suspect that something was amiss but kept her mouth shut as usual. Not that she didn't derive a great deal of pleasure whenever she found herself able to see one of these unfortunate incidents, that is.

In the midst of this covert prank campaign, a new student enrolled into Midvale High School. Having decided that she might be overdoing it a little and needed something else to keep her occupied, Kara volunteered to give the new girl a guided tour of the school.

 

* * *

 

“You didn't have to do this.”

Kara shook her head. “It's no big deal. I mean, it's not like this takes up a lot of time and effort after all. I'm happy to help... er...” She blinked and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, what was your name again?”

“Eve,” the girl supplied with a sunny smile. “Eve Teschmacher.”

“Right.” She was still having trouble with human names even after all her time on Earth. It was actually kind of embarrassing. “Sorry.”

“My surname trips a lot of people up, I know,” Eve cut her off with a laugh, thankfully oblivious as to the true reason Kara had failed to remember her name. “It's okay. You have no idea how badly people used to mangle my name in my old school.”

“Well, I'll try not to make that same mistake.” Kara paused the conversation there for a moment to point out where the cafeteria was and give a quick rundown of what kind of food to expect on which days before asking her next question. “So... um, I hope you don't mind me asking but where are you from?”

“National City, born and bred,” Eve answered rather proudly. “Which is why this is a bit of an adjustment for me. I've never experienced what it's like living in a small town before.” The second she finished her sentence, her eyes widened. “Oh, sorry! I don't mean anything bad by that! I mean, Midvale looks very nice and everyone seems very friendly in general. It's just-”

“Different,” Kara finished for her and offered her an understanding smile. “I know what you mean. It was a bit difficult for me to adjust to living in Midvale too when I first arrived.” She conveniently left out the fact that in her case, she had had to adjust to living on an entirely different planet and having powers to boot. Eve definitely didn't need to know about _that_.

Eve perked up. “Oh, you're not originally from around here too? Where are you from then?”

Kara froze, and a voice at the back of her head idly commented that she was probably sporting the classic 'deer in the headlights' expression right now. “Um. Uh,” she stuttered as she tried to remember the cover story Kal-El and the Danvers had created for her. Oh Rao, it had been so long since she had to tell it to anyone; what was it again? “Metropolis.”

Eve's smile impossibly grew wider. “You're a city girl like me!” She seemed a little too excited about something so small. Was she always this cheerful? “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. I mean, I know we're not from the same city and even if we were, the odds of us knowing each other before this would have been pretty small but-” Her eyes widened and she abruptly cut herself off, clapping her hands over her mouth for good measure. “Oh, sorry! I babble a lot; it's one of my worst traits. My parents tell me I could literally talk anyone's ear off if I had the chance-” Her face fell even further. “I'm doing it again, aren't I?”

Having been able to do nothing but stare and occasionally blink as she was being verbally besieged, it took a while for Kara to respond. “Um, no, it's fine. I don't really mind,” she tried to reassure the girl in front of her. Eager to switch topics before Eve got too disheartened, she mentally scrambled for something else to talk about. “A-Anyway, we're almost done with the tour but let me know if there's anything you might be curious about or think I might have missed. Things are pretty boring in school and Midvale in general especially compared to city life but you'll come to like the peace and quiet eventually. Trust me, sometimes it's a good thing that nothing happens around here.”

Of course, it was at that moment that they happened to walk past Jake who had stopped to take a drink from the water fountain in the hallway... only for the spout to pop off, resulting in Jake getting blasted in the face by the water gushing out of the fountain.

Kara coughed awkwardly, having suddenly remembered that she'd rigged that prank just last night, and quietly ushered Eve away from the scene of the crime even as the girl along with everyone else nearby stared at the spectacle with open curiosity.

 

* * *

 

“There was a new student at school today. A girl my age – physically, anyway – named Eve.”

Mon-El looked at the construct of the human girl Kara had created and hummed. “Seems nice.”

The construct disappeared instantly, the golden light in his head stilled eerily and Kara tilted her head upwards to eye him with a strange expression on her face. “What do you mean by that?”

He held up the hand not currently being squeezed by hers in surrender, feeling for some reason like he'd just gotten himself in trouble. “I'm just saying she doesn't look like a bad person.”

“Oh.” The strange expression vanished to be replaced by Kara's usual smile and the golden light went back to normal. Okay, that was just bizarre... but he got the sense that it was better that he didn't draw any attention to it. “Yeah, she's very nice. Cheerful.”

He breathed an internal sigh of relief; at least he had escaped a dangerous situation even if he had no idea what exactly that situation had been or what had brought it about in the first place. “That's good to hear. Are you planning on becoming friends with her then?”

For some reason, his innocent question caused her smile to dim and the golden light to be filled with unease. “I... I don't know if I should.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, baffled. “Do you think there's something suspicious about her or...?”

She shook her head. “No, it's not that. It's just...” She cast her gaze downwards. “The last time I tried to have a human friend, it didn't... end well.”

He couldn't be sure, but he thought he might have felt his heart break. “Kara...”

“I know what you're going to say, Mon-El,” she cut him off before he could start. “I know... but it's just hard not to think that... that history might repeat itself.”

“Hey.” He reached out with his free hand to tilt her chin upwards so that he could look her in the eye. “You can't think like that, okay? Sometimes... Sometimes things just happen. Things beyond your control. For better or worse. Don't let your fear of what might happen rule your life or you'll just find yourself only thinking about what could have been. Take it from me; I'm living that life and it's _really_ not fun. At all.”

She broke eye contact again and began playing with their intertwined hands. She did that a lot lately, he noticed. Almost all the time, even. “I just... I just don't want to care about someone only to lose them again. I know it sounds selfish but... I don't know if I can handle losing someone I care about ever again.”

It took all his effort not to visibly react to that, and Mon-El hoped that Kara could not discern the true nature of his thoughts through their link. “I don't think you should deny yourself the opportunity to make a new friend just because of what happened to Kenny. They're not the same person; things will turn out differently, I'm sure of it. So just... give this Eve girl a chance. If you want to, I mean,” he quickly added. “It's your life and your decision; I won't tell you what to do. And maybe the two of you won't even get along. I'm just saying that you won't know until you try.”

“I know,” she sighed and leaned in so she could hug him and bury her face in his chest. “I'll think about it,” came the almost unintelligible mumble.

It was something, at least.

 

* * *

 

“You can do this, Kara,” she muttered under her breath as she stared at the girl sitting all by herself in the cafeteria the next day. “Just walk up to her table, ask if she'd like some company and strike up a casual conversation over lunch. No big deal. Don't think about the hundred lies and half-truths you have to tell her so that your secret remains safe and she won't get dragged off by evil government people in the middle of the night.”

...Okay, so maybe she wasn't as confident as she wanted to believe.

If she was being perfectly honest with herself, she wanted to just retreat into her usual corner of the school and let things be. Surely Eve would be able to find friends of her own eventually with that bubbly personality of hers – friends who wouldn't be putting her life at risk just by being connected to her in any way. There was no reason Kara had to be that friend.

But then she looked at the girl and felt all her reservations fade away. Out of everyone attending Midvale High School, Kara was probably the only one who could remotely understand what it was like to be a newcomer in every sense of the word with no friendly or familiar face to be found around them. Kara had at least had Mon-El even if the only way she could see him was when she slept; meanwhile, she didn't know if Eve was even staying in touch with the friends she had left behind in National City.

Mon-El's advice replayed in her head again and she made up her mind.

_Here goes nothing._

She put one foot in front of the other until she was finally standing in front of Eve and cleared her throat to get the girl's attention.

“Hi,” Kara said as she gestured at the empty seats around the girl with her tray. “Is anyone sitting here?”

Eve positively beamed, and in that moment Kara decided that maybe she wasn't making some horrible decision that she was going to regret for the rest of her life after all.

 

* * *

 

“I did as you suggested.”

Kara didn't have to look up from her comfortable position of being curled up against Mon-El's side to know that he was currently studying her carefully. “So you talked to Eve?”

“Mhm.”

“...And...?”

She shrugged slightly; that was about the most amount of movement she was willing to make. “I think we could become friends.”

“That's good to hear. I'm happy for you.” The blue-grey energy in her head seemed to glow with warmth and she could almost feel his smile. “No problems keeping your story straight then?”

“None at all. And she didn't pry when I said I didn't want to talk about certain things. Like...” she trailed off, “you know. My life before I came to live with the Danvers. I know they made me remember this whole story about where I came from that's based on the truth but... it was a relief not to have to tell her more lies than I had to. Does that make sense?”

He squeezed her shoulders reassuringly. “Yes. And it's still a painful subject for you so no one can fault you for not wanting to discuss it. I'm glad this Eve girl is so understanding.”

She hummed. “Well, I think that might be because I extended her the same courtesy.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don't really know for sure but... it felt like there were things she didn't really want to discuss too? She told me that she's living with her father – he runs some kind of online business apparently – while her mother who's a doctor stayed back in National City but wouldn't really go into the details. I got the sense that there was something she didn't feel comfortable talking about so I just changed the subject.”

“Huh. So it's possible that she has secrets. Just like you.”

“Possibly.” She furrowed her brows. “Do you think we can actually become friends like this?”

“It's just your first day,” he reminded her gently. “Just keep talking to her and go from there. Maybe you'll be really close friends despite all the secrecy or maybe you'll just end up as casual acquaintances. You won't know-”

“-until I try,” she finished for him. “I know. And I am. Trying.”

“That's good.”

A relatively long period of silence ensued, and Kara was surprisingly the one to bring it to an end.

“You're still my best friend though. You always will be.”

He brought his other arm around to hug her. “And you'll always be my best friend too.”

There didn't seem to be a need for either of them to say anything more on the topic after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be honest, who actually managed to guess I was going to bring Eve in at this juncture to be Kara's friend? I hope that was a pleasant surprise for at least a handful of you because I worried it might be a bit of a huge gamble when I first thought it up. If you're a fan and are hoping to see more of Eve, fear not for I have Plans (in case that wasn't obvious). If you're not a fan... um, I hope I can convince you to tolerate her at the very least? ^_^;;


	11. Farewell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long overdue goodbye is said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So... I hope you enjoyed the reprieve from the angst that you got for the past two chapters! That was nice, wasn't it? Ahahahahaha...
> 
> ...Um, remember those neck braces from before? You might want to consider putting them on again...
> 
> ...And here are some tissue boxes in case you need them...
> 
> ...I don't suppose I could convince you to hand over your pitchforks before you start reading this chapter? ...No? ...Guess I'd better head for the escape route right this second then...

As the days passed, Kara allowed herself to become more and more convinced that befriending Eve was actually a good decision.

She loved Alex, she really did, but there was no denying the fact that the two sisters were very different in a variety of ways and that made it hard for them to share hobbies, much less interests.

For example, Alex absolutely loved action and horror movies and protested whenever Kara expressed a desire to watch literally anything else instead during movie nights at the Danvers residence. (She always made a face like she'd just eaten a slug whenever Kara suggested a romantic comedy.) Alex didn't seem to understand why anyone with superpowers would be terrified of ghosts and creepy monsters, completely ignoring the fact that said superpowers would have zero effect on intangible beings and the existence of utterly horrifying creatures across the universe that resembled the monsters in human horror movies. Not to mention the fact that Kara couldn't wrap her head around the idea of scaring yourself half to death in the name of 'fun'.

Alex's taste in music was another gigantic headache – literally. Kara just could not understand how the noise her adoptive sister called 'punk-rock' could in any way be considered music. Even Mon-El, who had listened to a wide variety of music from other races, called the sample Kara had replayed for him “an unholy racket that proves humans are either deaf or insane”... although to be fair, he _had_ raised an eyebrow at her own preferred genre of human music.

Additionally, Alex's recently discovered passion for science came hand in hand with a determination to attend every single science fair in Midvale and its neighbouring towns even if she had to drive there herself. More often than not, Kara found herself going along just to make sure Alex was safe despite wanting to stay at home to read... or continue her work on rescuing Mon-El although she couldn't tell Alex that. However, her noble intentions didn't stop her from being so bored at these fairs that it always took her a great deal of effort not to yawn throughout them. (“I accomplished more impressive things when I was _five_.” “Yes, yes, oh great super-intelligent alien from a super-advanced planet looking down on us mere primitive humans. Now shut up and let me enjoy this.”)

On the other hand, Eve loved romantic comedies, Disney movies and musicals – all choices which Kara could wholeheartedly support. Her favourite boy band was *NSYNC, she liked to occasionally pass the time by quietly reading although their preferred reading materials tended to differ and didn't have a favourite television show where she wasn't rooting for at least one couple to get together.

Of course, that was not to say that all of Eve's interests aligned with hers. For example, the girl loved learning about the occult, a hobby which veered dangerously close to resembling Alex's passion for horror movies. There was also her borderline obsessive fondness for keeping up-to-date on the latest Hollywood gossip, ranking male actors by their hotness – the ranking changed from day to day depending on what the actors had been photographed wearing – and rounds of window shopping which always ended with a nice cool drink at a cafe. However, Kara found this to be a good thing; it was kind of fun and refreshing to do things that were outside of her comfort zone.

In other words, Kara found she loved being friends with Eve. It felt like it didn't matter all that much that she had to lie to the girl about her true identity and everything related to that because Kara Zor-El's life had no impact whatsoever on Eve's life. It was... nice, for lack of a better word, and for a while she allowed herself to believe that this could continue indefinitely.

Then the universe decided to burst her bubble.

 

* * *

 

“What was that?”

Eve stopped to look at her questioningly but all Kara could focus on was the noise she'd heard seconds ago. “What was what?” the girl asked curiously.

“I thought I heard-” Kara started but cut herself off before she could finish. How was she supposed to explain that her enhanced hearing had picked up the sound of something crashing a good distance ahead of them? Their surroundings were rather quiet due to it being a stretch of road surrounded by trees and devoid of traffic at this hour but it was still hard to pretend a normal human could hear a sound from so far away. “N-Never mind,” she continued. “I must have imagined it.”

Something must have shown on her face, however, because instead of simply accepting that answer and letting things be, Eve stared at her for a moment before jogging ahead decisively. “No, I think you really heard something. We should go check.”

“No wait! Eve!” Kara called out in a slightly panicked voice as she chased after her friend. “Don't be so hasty! It could be-”

'Dangerous' was the word she intended to say, and the sentiment was proven true when they finally came upon the source of the sound: a car that had crashed into a tree and was starting to go up in flames with its driver and passenger – a woman and a baby which was presumably her child – still trapped inside.

Eve gasped out loud.

Kara sprinted forward, forgetting in the heat of the moment that she was supposed to stay as far away as possible from attention-grabbing situations such as this one where there was a clear risk of her secret being exposed. It was hard to care when someone right in front of her was in danger and there was no one else around who could help.

The first thing she did when she reached the car was yank the rear door open and hurriedly remove the child safety seat the baby was strapped into, saying a silent prayer of thanks to Rao for the fact that her powers allowed her to ignore the heat of the fire slowly consuming the car. When she turned around to deposit the seat somewhere safe, however, she found herself faced with a perspiring and slightly panicked but determined-looking Eve. “Eve! What are you-”

“I want to help,” the girl declared, her tone leaving no room for argument.

They were running out of time. Against her better judgement, Kara handed over the child safety seat. “Get as far away as you can and call for help,” she all but ordered, and was grateful when Eve did as she was told. Then she quickly switched to focusing her attention on getting the woman out of the driver's seat, all the while aware that the flames were getting more ravenous.

“My baby...” the woman mumbled deliriously as she lifted a bloodied hand to reach blindly for Kara when Kara opened the door, her eyes half-closed partially due to the blood flowing down her face from an ugly gash on her forehead. “Please... My baby... Save my baby...”

For a split second, Kara found herself transported back to that terrible moment she had last seen her parents. Had they too futilely reached out for her as they watched her pod fly away? Had Uncle Jor-El and Aunt Lara done the same for Kal-El's pod? Was she doomed to always be a part of this kind of tragedy for the rest of her life?

_No. Not again. Never again._

“Ma'am, your baby's safe. Now please hold still,” Kara urged the woman as she reached to unbuckle the seat belt keeping the woman in place. “I'll get you out-”

The latch refused to give.

_No._

She could use her super-strength to break it. But the woman was half-awake. She might see. Might ask questions. _Eve_ was right there. _She_ might ask questions too. There were so many risks – so many ways her secret could be exposed.

But a life was at stake. Was her secret really worth that? But it wasn't just her that would pay the price if her true identity was revealed. Jeremiah was proof enough; if it happened once, it could happen again. Who else? Who else had to be sacrificed-

A loud infernal sound broke her out of her panicked dilemma, informing her that the flames were about to consume the car entirely.

There was no more time. She applied a reasonable amount of her super-strength to her task and the latch gave way almost immediately, allowing her to remove the seat belt and scoop the woman up in her arms before sprinting to where Eve had decided to stay with the baby.

“Wow, Kara,” Eve gushed as Kara gently placed the woman on the ground. “That was amazing! I didn't know you were that strong!”

“I'm not. It's just... adrenaline,” Kara lied as she glanced between the burning wreckage and the two people they had rescued. _Please don't ask questions, please don't ask questions_ , she begged silently.

Then she saw the slightly singed state of Eve's clothes as well as the scrapes on her friend's palm and felt her stomach plummet. “Eve, your hand... what happened?”

“Oh, this?” Eve waved her injured hand while sporting a sheepish smile. “I kind of fell while I was running away with the baby. You know me. I get clumsy when I'm in a hurry. It's just a scratch. Nothing serious.”

Kara felt sick. No matter how anyone twisted it, Eve had gotten injured because she'd gotten involved... and she'd only gotten involved in the first place because Kara had involved herself in a dangerous situation that she should have stayed away from.

But the alternative had been letting two people die.

What was she supposed to have done? What had been the right course of action?

Then Sheriff Taylor arrived, accompanied by an ambulance, with Eve's father Ian and Eliza driving their respective cars in tow and there was no more time for her internal turmoil. Instead, the two girls spent the next few minutes explaining what had happened while the adults fussed over them and Kara tried not to squirm under Eliza's intense scrutiny. It felt like forever before they were allowed to leave and bundled into their respective parents' cars.

The drive back to the Danvers residence was uncomfortably silent and it continued even after Eliza had parked the car and shut off the engine.

“I'm sorry,” Kara mumbled when she couldn't take it any more.

Eliza turned to regard her with an unreadable expression. “What exactly are you saying sorry for?”

Kara squirmed and tried to disappear into her seat. “For getting into a situation where my secret could be revealed. For putting Eve in danger.” She swallowed thickly. “For everything.”

“Kara...” Eliza started.

“But I couldn't just look away,” Kara continued in a rush as she stared at her lap. “I couldn't just let them die. What was I supposed to do, Eliza?”

“Oh, sweetie,” Eliza murmured as she pulled Kara into a hug. “You saved lives today. That's not something you need to apologise for.”

“But my secret... Eve...” Kara protested feebly.

“You were careful, weren't you? Nothing that would draw undue attention?” Eliza asked.

“...No...”

“And Eve just scraped her hand a little, right? Nothing more?”

“...Yes...”

“Then it's fine. The two of you did something amazing today. Be proud of that. Ian wasn't mad at Eve and he certainly wasn't mad at you. Now come on; let's go inside and I'll make you some hot chocolate. While we're waiting, you can read Bruce's latest message.”

Kara perked up a little; updates from Bruce about Jeremiah's status were few and far in-between due to there being little noticeable change in his assignments. As Bruce had expected, Jeremiah had been kept locked up in a lab in some undisclosed location – apparently even Bruce's resources weren't good enough to get past the DEO's security – so something must have changed.

However, the message turned out to be quite cryptic as all it contained was a date that corresponded with next Friday and none of them could figure out what it meant. Calling Bruce proved to be fruitless as the man was incredibly evasive and would only tell them to be patient. It was all very mysterious.

 

* * *

 

“I know that face.”

Kara blinked, a little taken aback at the unusual greeting she had received upon appearing in the dream world, and tried not to squirm under Mon-El's scrutiny. “W-What?”

He pointed a finger at the spot where her crinkle usually manifested. “That's your 'I'm feeling very conflicted about something and I want you to give me your honest opinion so I can decide how to ultimately feel about it' face.”

She stared back, mouth agape. “I do not have a face like that!”

“Yes, you do,” he countered easily. “You're forgetting how long I've known you. Now come here and tell me about it.”

It was with some measure of reluctance that she complied and let him wrap his arm around her waist. At least, that was what she tried to tell herself... except she was the one who entwined their hands and initiated the link. “I came across a car crash today,” she started explaining once she had made herself comfortable. “There was a woman and her baby trapped inside. I managed to save them.”

There was pride and a quiet sense of awe but also an undercurrent of confusion coming through their mental connection. “That's a good thing, right? Why the conflict?”

She sighed and twisted around so she could bury her face in his chest. “I had to use a bit of my super-strength to do it. And Eve was there. She got hurt helping me save them.”

“Ah.” There was a pause in the conversation as the blue-grey energy swirled soothingly in her head. “Was she badly hurt?”

“..No,” she admitted quietly. “Just a few scrapes on her hand when she fell while carrying the baby away to safety.”

“Is she upset at you about it?”

“...No.”

“...But that doesn't ease your guilt at all, does it.”

“No.” Another sigh escaped her and she curled her free hand to grab a fistful of his shirt. “Does it make me selfish if I want to do something good even if it's at the cost of putting the people I care about at risk? Or would it be more selfish to prioritise keeping the people I care about safe over saving those I don't know?”

“Kara-”

“Eve doesn't even know my secret,” she barrelled on. “She _can't_ know. Knowing would put her in danger. And it's not like she's some rich powerful person who can afford an army of guards to protect her. She's just a nice normal human girl I happen to be friends with. She doesn't deserve this.”

“You want to keep her safe but you also want to still be friends with her.”

“Yeah.”

Mon-El hummed thoughtfully as the blue-grey energy continued to weave itself around her thoughts. “If you ask me, I don't think that makes you selfish. Not any more than... well, most normal people anyway.”

She twisted around again so that she could meet his gaze. “What do you mean?”

“Look at it this way: A lot of people across the universe have that dilemma on some level. Especially those who have jobs or positions that put them and their loved ones in danger. I'm pretty sure even your mother had that same concern.”

All Kara could do was stare, having not expected him to bring up her mother of all things. “My mother?” she echoed.

“She was a judge, Kara,” he reminded her gently, “and a very powerful one at that. A position like that attracts enemies – dangerous ones. No matter how safe you were, she must have still worried that one of those enemies would find you and hurt you someday. Even so, she believed in the righteousness – in the _necessity_ – of what she was doing. So she carried out her duties to the letter while still doing her best to protect you from harm. And she managed to do both, didn't she?”

She looked down. “I suppose...”

“Okay, now answer this question for me: Would you still have tried to save those humans today even if you didn't have powers?”

“...Yes.” The thought of letting that woman and her child die... she would never have been able to live with herself.

The blue-grey energy glowed with warmth and she let herself be buoyed by it. “There you go. It didn't – doesn't – matter whether you have powers or not; it's you. You want to help people and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm not saying your worries about putting the people you care about like Eve in danger should be ignored but I think... I think if you do what you can with the limitations you have and be as careful as possible, there shouldn't be any issues.”

“We'll see,” she mumbled as she sank into his embrace and allowed the conversation to end there.

“You think about a lot of complicated things,” he noted once the silence had dragged on for a while.

A slight smile tugged at her lips despite herself. “Well, you always point out how smart I am so that's to be expected, right?”

The rumble of his laugh reverberated through her entire body due to their close proximity. “I think I just heard some trademark Kryptonian arrogance in that answer. But I admit there is some truth to it. Although I do feel like you overthink things quite a bit.” He paused. “By the way, you know what this means, right?”

Kara opened her eyes which had slid shut sometime during the lull in their conversation to look up at him questioningly. “What?”

Mon-El grinned at her. “You became a superhero today.”

That startled a laugh out of her. “Don't be ridiculous, Mon-El.”

“I'm being serious!” he protested although his words were undermined by the playful grin dancing on his lips and the mirth she could feel flowing through their connection. “You saved someone using your superpowers. Now, I don't claim to know the rules – if there are any, that is – but that sounds like a qualifier to me. So now we have to figure out what to call you.”

“Mon-El...” she said warningly even as she resisted the urge to grin back at him.

“Let's see... Kal-El calls himself Superman, right? So if you want to go with some family theme thing, you'd be called... Superwoman? Oh wait, you're not even an adult by Krypton's standards so you'd be... Supergirl!”

An inelegant snort escaped her. “Really? That's the best you can do?”

“It's not my fault your idiot cousin chose such a boring superhero name for himself.”

She pinched him. “For the last time, stop calling him an idiot!”

“Of course, you're so much better and smarter than him so you'd deserve to have the 'Super' in your... well, superhero name more than him,” he continued while pointedly ignoring her. “As primitive as they may be, I'm sure the humans will notice that eventually and realise they shouldn't call him Superman. Instead, they'll call him... Super Idiot Man.”

She pinched him again.

“Ow. _Fine._ What about... Super Idiot _ic_ Man?”

“That sounds even worse!”

“To be honest, I have a feeling they might just drop the 'Super' entirely and refer to him only as Idiot Man. Yeah, that sounds better. Idiot Man it is.”

That earned him an elbow to the gut and what ensued was a small scuffle peppered with more childish insults directed at Kal-El and even more heated demands to retract said insults. It was only when they were both lying on the grass trying to recover their breaths that Kara remembered to mention Bruce's cryptic message. Unfortunately, Mon-El could not provide any suggestions so she once again decided that the only thing she could do was wait.

 

* * *

 

The mystery of Bruce's message was finally solved when Alex and Kara returned from school that specified Friday to find Jeremiah sitting in the dining room with Eliza as if he had never left.

“DAD!” Alex nearly knocked over a vase as she ran over to envelop him in a bone-crushing hug.

“I missed you too, Alex,” Jeremiah wheezed with a smile on his face even as he looked at Kara who had stayed rooted to the spot near the front door. “Can I get a hug from you too?”

She didn't wait another second and only remembered at the last moment to control her strength. “I'm so sorry,” she mumbled as she willed herself not to cry. He was safe. He was alive. He was home, where he belonged.

“You have nothing to apologise for,” he told her firmly. “You're my daughter just like Alex. I just did what any decent father would do to protect his daughter and if I had to, I'd do it all over again. But enough about that. Right now, I just want to spend some happy quality time with my family.”

“How are you even here though?” Alex asked as she pulled away.

“Well, apparently even clandestine government organisations have HR departments which insist that all their employees – even those recruited against their will – get at least a few days off from work every now and then,” he laughed.

“How long do you have before you have to go back?” Kara wanted to know, already painfully aware that this was a gift that would not last forever.

“Sunday night,” Eliza answered on Jeremiah's behalf as she came over. “So I suggest you girls hurry up and put your school things away so that we can make the most of every minute we have until then.”

They didn't need to be told twice, and for the next two and a half days it was as if the shadow of the DEO and what it had done to the Danvers family did not exist at all. Alex and Kara took turns updating Jeremiah about what had transpired in their lives over the past year while Eliza generously supplied him with the stories they were too embarrassed to share. Even St'rki deigned to greet Jeremiah although he almost immediately demanded a belly rub after that much to everyone's amusement. On his end, Jeremiah made up for his long time away from home by cooking everyone's favourites for every meal. There was just so much to say and do.

But time was finite and it was all too soon before a black SUV showed up on the Danvers residence's doorstep on Sunday night.

“I can't believe they're so desperate to throw you back into their dinky lab that they'd come and fetch you like you're some VIP,” Alex muttered bitterly as she glared daggers at the vehicle outside. “They can't be _that_ short on scientists.”

“I'm not supposed to tell you all this – I'm not even supposed to _know_ this – but they're actually getting ready to send me out for my first field mission,” Jeremiah confessed a little sheepishly. “An overseas one, even. If I overheard the other agents right, I'm going to Peru.”

“Promise to bring back some souvenirs?” Kara tried to joke even as she did her best to shake the uneasy feeling that had overcome her. All this time, she had drawn some measure of comfort from the fact that being stuck in a lab meant that Jeremiah would be kept out of harm's way while she tried to figure out if there was anything she could do to free him. Out in the field, however...

Her distress must have shown on her face because Jeremiah offered her a reassuring smile and came over to give her a hug. “I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, I want you to live your life, okay? Don't worry about me.”

“I'll try,” Kara replied with a strained smile. “Goodbye, Jeremiah.”

“Bye, Dad,” Alex said when it was her turn to hug her father. “Kick some ass if you can, huh?”

“No promises,” he laughed before releasing Alex so that he could hug Eliza and the couple whispered their goodbyes to each other. Then, having delayed the moment for as long as possible, he stepped away, grabbed his bag and headed for the front door. At the last second, he turned around and shot them all a grin. “I'll come home, I promise. It might be a while though so don't wait up.”

Then he was gone.

 

* * *

 

“You have to trust that he'll take care of himself, Kara,” Mon-El told her later that night. “I know you're worried and you have every right to be but-”

“There's nothing I can do about it,” she finished. “I know. I just... I can't shake this feeling that something's going to go wrong.”

He had nothing else to offer but the comfort of his embrace, and even that could not fully chase away her quietly growing fears.

 

* * *

 

Those fears were realised slightly more than a week later when Eliza opened the front door one night to find a familiar if unwelcome face on the other side.

A loud screech cut through the air as Kara stumbled backwards into a chair in her blind haste to put as much distance between herself and the grim-looking man standing on the doorstep, her mind assailed by memories of that traumatic night roughly one year ago. It was actually a relief when her view was partially blocked by Alex who had stepped forward as if to shield her.

“What the hell are _you_ doing here, you bastard?!” Alex snarled.

Henshaw remained where he stood, making no move to step inside the house. “I regret to inform you...” he began solemnly, his demeanour completely different compared to his previous visit.

A sharp gasp escaped Eliza. “No,” Alex whispered. Kara could not even make a sound.

“...that Jeremiah Danvers was killed in the line of duty during a mission-”

That was the furthest he got before he was cut off by a punch courtesy of Alex.

“ _Alex!_ ” Eliza cried out in alarm as the two DEO agents behind Henshaw made a move to restrain her only for everyone sans Alex to halt in their tracks when Henshaw himself held up a hand to stop them.

“ _This is your fault!_ ” Alex continued to rage as she pulled her hand back to punch the man again. “ _That was for my dad!_ ” Another punch. “ _That was for my mom!_ ” Another punch. “ _That was for me!_ ” Another punch. “ _That was for Kara!_ ”

“Alex! Enough!” It was with great effort that Eliza managed to pull her daughter away from the man who had stoically endured every single hit.

“Let me go, Mom!” Alex screamed as she struggled to escape her mother's grasp.

“It's... It's all right, Mrs Danvers,” Henshaw murmured, his head hanging low. “I deserved that. There are no words to describe the damage I have inflicted upon your family and there is nothing I can do that can make up for it.”

“At least you admit it,” Alex snarled as she finally shook off Eliza's iron grip. “But I'm not interested in hearing your pathetic attempt at an apology. All I want is for you to rot in hell.” With that, she stormed upstairs to their room, all the while pointedly ignoring Eliza's calls for her to stay.

It was strange, Kara thought to herself, just how different the man standing before them was from the one who had first appeared on their doorstep to cruelly trample on their lives. It was almost as if they were entirely different people. What exactly had happened during that mission in Peru?

Not that it mattered. Even if he regretted it, Henshaw was still responsible for the situation they were in right now.

Just like her.

That was when Henshaw turned to look at her and she felt compelled to say her piece. “I guess the both of us will have to carry this guilt for the rest of our lives,” she said as neutrally as she could manage.

He stared back at her, and something about the look in his eyes made him seem so... _old_. Ancient, even. “I guess so,” he replied quietly.

She couldn't bear to hear any more; penitent or not, this man and his actions had left deep and painful scars on her mind, body and soul the first time he had come here. There was no way to remember that night without remembering the excruciating pain she had felt as a result of the Kryptonite he had brought with him and simply looking at him brought back the ghostly sensation of that agony. Furthermore, he had ripped Jeremiah away from his family because of her and now, he had ensured that she had lost the chance to fix her mistake forever.

Finding herself no longer able to remain in his presence, Kara fled to the safety of their room and held Alex as her sister cried out all her sorrow and anger.

 

* * *

 

Kara only let herself cry when she finally appeared in the dream world, and Mon-El held her silently the entire time.

 

* * *

 

They buried an empty casket.

Was she supposed to read into that? She didn't know.

The funeral itself was a blur, and if anyone had asked her afterwards to describe the details of the ceremony, she would have found herself hard-pressed to give a decent answer. All she was aware of was that both Jeremiah's and Eliza's extended families as well as their friends in Midvale had shown up and every single one of them had been a complete stranger to her. In fact, the only familiar faces she had found aside from Eliza and Alex had been Eve who had naturally come as part of her self-described 'best friend duties' – something for which Kara was immensely grateful – along with her father.

It was, she realised in the middle of the priest's long speech, the second time she had attended a human funeral. And she had only been on Earth for three years.

Kenny's funeral had been last year. (Had it really only been a year? It felt like it had been a lifetime ago and yet it still felt so recent.) Now Jeremiah's.

One funeral a year for two years in a row.

A dark part of her wondered if this was going to be the new normal.

Whose funeral would she be attending next? Eliza's? Alex's? Eve's?

It felt inevitable at this point.

According to Eliza, Henshaw had promised that the DEO would stop closely monitoring the Danvers household and would only intervene if Kara became an active threat to human lives. It was a hollow gesture, she felt; the damage had already been done, after all, and it was still up to them to determine when anything she did constituted her being a danger to others.

 _-Look around you-_ , a cruel voice whispered at the back of her head. - _Look where you are right now. You're already a danger to the people you claim to care about.-_

She hugged herself tightly, and Eve's worried queries about whether she was all right fell on deaf ears. _I'm trying_ , she protested feebly. _It's not like I wanted this to happen._

_-And yet it did. Are you sure you're trying hard enough?-_

There was no way to answer that without feeling like she was lying.

 

* * *

 

“It doesn't seem to get easier. Or hurt less.”

The blue-grey energy curled comfortingly around her thoughts, its actions mimicking the way his arm tightened its grip around her waist. “I don't think it's supposed to.”

“I don't want to lose anyone else,” she whispered as she let her eyes slide shut and drew as much comfort as she could from his presence. “I'm just... so tired of losing the people I care about, Mon-El.”

“I know,” he whispered back, and there was a pause before he spoke again. “I'm sorry.”

“...Do you want to know something strange?”

“What?”

“I know this is going to sound weird but... I'm glad that Jeremiah came back just before... before the end.”

“...Because you got to see him one last time?”

“Because I got to say goodbye this time.”

“Ah.”

“With Kenny... I couldn't. And when they took Jeremiah, I couldn't again. But that night... I got to tell him goodbye. In light of today, it feels like... proper closure.”

“...So it comforts you? The knowledge that you got to say goodbye?”

“I guess you could say that.”

“That's good to know.”

Something about the way Mon-El said that caught her attention, and Kara snapped her eyes open and tilted her head upwards so she could look him in the eye. “What do you mean by that?”

He tensed, as did the blue-grey energy in her head, and that just put her even more on edge. “It's nothing,” he said but the fact that he broke eye contact before saying it gave him away.

“You're lying.” The words stuck in her throat. “Why is it 'good to know' that, Mon-El?”

“Kara-”

“ _Tell me, Mon-El._ ”

He pulled away, severing their mental connection in the process. She let him, suddenly unsure if she wanted to see his thoughts in her head. If she wanted him in her head at all. “I don't want to upset you.”

“I'm _already_ upset.” There was this gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach – an inexplicable sense of dread that seemed to grow with every passing moment. “Just tell me already, Mon-El. Why do you feel it's good to know that I take comfort in the fact that I got to say goodbye-”

Then everything fell into place in slow motion as realisation dawned on her.

His strange behaviour every time she talked about the possibility of losing someone close to her again.

His tendency to apologise whenever she happened to mention her efforts to find and rescue him.

The sad way she sometimes caught him looking at her.

His specific choice of words when talk about the future came up.

_It can't be._

But the evidence was right there. It had been right in front of her the whole time; she had just been too blind to see it. Maybe she just hadn't wanted to see it. Or she had seen it but her mind had refused to make the connections out of some misguided belief that if she ignored it, it couldn't be true.

There was no ignoring it now, however.

“You... You've been thinking about severing our connection.” It wasn't a question.

He remained quiet, but his silence alone was confirmation enough.

Something like pure terror began coursing through her veins and she got to her feet partially so that she could look down at him and partially because there was this urge to run as far away from him as possible. “How long have you been thinking about this?”

“Kara-”

“ _Answer me, Mon-El!_ ”

“...Since your first Earth birthday,” he finally said.

Two years. More than two years' worth of clues staring her in the face and she hadn't put them together until now. She felt like she was going to be sick. “But... But _why_?” she demanded to know as tears started to cloud her vision. “Why, Mon-El? Is it...” She swallowed thickly. “Is it because I'm taking so long to find a way to get you out of here? Because I'm doing my best, I swear-”

“It's precisely because you've been spending so much time on this that I want you to stop, Kara!” he all but yelled when he leapt to his feet and cut her off, and regret was etched in every line of his face when he realised that his outburst had caused her to flinch. “I just...” He trailed off as he closed his eyes and dragged a hand down his face. “You deserve to live your life to the fullest, Kara. I don't want you to waste it on a lost cause.”

“You are _not_ a lost cause!” Her fear had morphed into anger at his words and a part of her was relieved at this change. Anger was better. Anger was easier to manage. “And it's _my_ life, Mon-El! You have no right to tell me what to do with it!”

“I don't want to be a burden to you,” he tried reasoning with her. “I don't want you to blame yourself if you never find a way to rescue me. This is something I determined on my own; it's not your fault in any way-”

“ _HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE THAT?!_ ”

Her anguished scream caused him to jerk back in shock and fall silent but she was too mired in her fear and rage to notice. “Everyone... Everyone keeps leaving me behind,” she managed to get out through her sobs as she brought her hands up to her face in a futile effort to wipe away the tears streaming down her face. “You told me every single time that it's not my fault and I believed you but what am I supposed to think now when you say that you're doing this for my sake?!”

“Kara...” The helpless way he said her name just made things worse.

She choked on a sob as her anger gave way to the fear that had birthed it in the first place. “Please, Mon-El. Not you. Please don't leave me behind. I can't lose you. Not you. Please, Mon-El. _Please. Don't go._ ”

It felt like an eternity before his arms carefully wrapped around her violently shaking frame, and some small part of her wanted to push him away – to hurt him as much as he had hurt her – even as she gave in and clutched him like he was her lifeline. “I'm here,” he whispered as the blue-grey energy tentatively reached out for her mind. “I'm here.”

“Promise me,” she begged, her words muffled by the fabric of his shirt. “Promise me you won't leave me behind.”

“Kara-”

“ _Promise me, Mon-El._ ”

“...I promise,” he sighed, and there was a long pause punctuated only by the sound of her continued sobbing before he spoke again. “I'm sorry.”

“Good,” she whispered harshly. “You should be.”

She kept crying the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (begins sweating at the sight of the pitchfork-wielding mob)
> 
> ...I-If I promise the next chapter will be significantly less angsty, will you all promise not to kill me? >_>;;


	12. Milestone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A necessary discussion (or three) is had and an important day is celebrated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, apologies for the schedule slip. Real life interfered in the worst possible way, robbing me of nearly my entire weekend, and this chapter was an extremely long one too so I fell behind despite my best efforts. I'll try to return to my usual Sunday update time with the next chapter. (Thank you, katie, for worrying about me. I greatly appreciate it.)
> 
> Secondly, so apparently I overestimated the pitchfork count last chapter which is always a good thing. (On that note, apologies for the deliberately misleading chapter title.) On the other hand... I AM DISAPPOINTED, PEOPLE. Why did no one seem to notice that it was J'onn pretending to be Henshaw? I thought I left enough clues! T_T Poor Space Dad got beat up by Alex and no one cared... although since I kind of misled everyone and made them focus on Mon-El, I suppose I'm to blame...?
> 
> But anyway, I promised less angst so here! ...Well, get past the residual angst and you will be richly rewarded, that is.

Things between them were... rocky after that, to say the least.

It seemed as if Kara spent all her waking moments going through her memories of every single one of their past interactions for the signs of his intentions to sever their bond that she had missed. At least, that was the conclusion that Mon-El drew since every other one of her visits to the dream world following the reveal of his intentions was just a continuation of one very long session of her yelling at him.

“'As long as you need me'? What is that even supposed to _mean_?!” she'd raged one such night, and that had led to her systematically dismantling the idea of 'need' in the context of their relationship. Things got muddled halfway through her tirade, however, when she seemed to contradict herself by saying that she didn't need him in her life but following that up with a long list of the ways he was an essential part of it. It was very confusing but he knew better than to point it out and instead just let her keep going.

She was angry most of the time. So incredibly angry.

“Are you ever going to forgive me?” he tried asking once when she had paused to catch her breath after yet another protracted round of yelling.

“No.” She hadn't even hesitated when she gave her answer. Or looked at him.

He supposed he deserved that.

In the grand scheme of things, however, he vastly preferred it when she was angry. He could handle her when she was angry. Sure, it sucked that she was angry _at him_ but at least all he had to do was stand there, keep his mouth shut and let her rage at him.

No, Kara being angry at him was not the worst thing in the world.

Kara crying because of something he did, on the other hand? _That_ was the worst thing in the universe.

She did that a lot too now. On the nights when she wasn't spitting fire and one step away from outright cursing at him, she cried and cried until her voice was so hoarse she couldn't speak.

He hated it.

He had always hated it when she cried but now that he was the cause of it, he hated it even more.

He hated himself now more than he had ever hated himself in his entire life.

Kara... Kara deserved to only be happy. Anything less than that was unacceptable.

And now he was very clearly the one who was making her _un_ happy.

It almost made him want to construct a cliff so that he could throw himself off it. Really, the only thing stopping him was the knowledge that taking such an action would just make Kara cry even more.

“Am I really your best friend?” she'd asked him brokenly once in the middle of another bout of crying.

“Of course,” he'd replied as quickly and reassuringly as possible.

Unfortunately for him, his answer had had exactly the opposite effect because her red-rimmed bright blue eyes had just gotten even more watery. “ _Then why are you trying to abandon me?_ ”

There had been no way to answer that without running the risk of making her cry even more or sounding like he was making excuses.

Because he knew very well that all the anger and the grief she poured out on a daily basis were merely symptoms of the real problem... and that was her fear of being all alone again.

His mistake, it seemed, had been thinking that she would be fine as long as she had people in the real world who she cared about and who cared about her in return. If she had other people in her life, his absence in it would be less noticeable. She would be able to move on eventually. That was what he had believed.

Apparently, he had severely underestimated how much he mattered to her.

He didn't know how to feel about that.

On one hand, he found it both gratifying and humbling. Someone he cared about a great deal – her, specifically – cared about him that much in return. Him, Mon-El, not the crown prince of Daxam. It meant more than words in any language in the universe could express.

On the other hand, it felt like an even stronger confirmation that he was just holding her back – that he was preventing her from moving forward and leading a truly happy and amazing life.

It made him want to be in her life for as long as she wanted – because, if he was being honest with himself, he wanted her in his life for as long as possible too – and feel like he should just sever the bond without saying goodbye at the same time, promise be damned.

In other words, he was stuck. Again.

The only way he could see this issue getting resolved was if he could convince her to sever the bond herself. In a weird way, her learning about this goal of his was a good thing because now he didn't have to find some covert way to suggest it or slip his reasons for thinking it was a good idea into their regular conversations somehow; now he was free to actually say it out loud.

Except for the fact that in her current state of mind, there was no way that she was ever going to so much as entertain the idea, much less react well to him bringing it up.

Not when the first thing she did the moment she appeared in the dream world every time was run over to him, intertwine their hands and initiate their mental connection. It didn't matter whether she was angry or sad that day; she never failed to do it and her grip on his hand would always be so tight that it bordered on painful. (Maybe he was reading too much into it, but it felt like some irrational part of her believed that she could keep him from leaving her through sheer force of will – that if she held on to him with all her might, she could keep him by her side forever.)

Not when under all the rage or sorrow he could feel through their link was that persistent undercurrent of deep-seated fear that had never been there before and now never seemed to go away.

He'd done that to her. And he didn't know how he was ever going to forgive himself. If he deserved to be forgiven by himself or her.

Letting out another defeated sigh – his thousandth, probably, since this whole debacle had begun –, Mon-El dragged a hand down his face as he tried to sort out his thoughts and feelings which at this point seemed to just go around in circles endlessly. Maybe it was a good idea to give his plan a rest for now. At least until he fixed things between them. After all, the whole point of severing their bond as far as he was concerned was to ensure that Kara would have the happiest life she could have in her given situation. Right now, that was as far from possible as... well, him getting her to forgive him, apparently.

But he had to try.

He just hoped he would be able to figure out a way... and ultimately succeed.

 

* * *

 

To say that Kara was upset was an understatement.

She was beyond upset. She was livid. She was miserable. She wanted to break everything in sight and then reduce the remains to ashes with her heat vision. She wanted to curl up in bed, bury herself under the covers and cry until she soaked the entire mattress with her tears.

It felt like nearly every negative emotion in the world was currently crammed into her heart to the point that it was on the verge of exploding and the only reason it hadn't done so was because of her accelerated healing.

Maybe she was being melodramatic. Maybe this was just part and parcel of what the humans called teenage angst. She didn't know.

All she knew was that Mon-El had wanted to abandon her for over two years and she hadn't noticed it at all until now.

She didn't know which part of that revelation hurt more.

Knowing that he had been harbouring these thoughts for so long made her begin to wonder whether he actually cared about her or if he had merely been pretending to care for whatever reason. Maybe he'd gotten tired of her constantly coming to him with her problems and would rather be left alone instead of always having to help or comfort her when she was in distress. Maybe he'd just been humouring her all this while out of pity. He'd _said_ he was doing this for her sake but what if he was just lying?

He was the one constant thing in her life following the loss of her whole world – the one thing she had always been able to rely on even when they had only just begun getting to know each other. After she had arrived on Earth and learnt that she could still see him every time she went to sleep, simply knowing that she could count on him being there at night no matter what had happened during the day had gotten her through some of the worst points in her life.

Now he'd made her question that. He'd made her question _everything_.

The thought that she might go to sleep one night and not see him... the thought of going back to nights of meaningless dreams or no dreams at all... it terrified her. (What was that even like? She could no longer remember.) After all, if he had been thinking about this for so long, it was not far-fetched to think that he had figured out a way to actually do it. And there was nothing aside from the promise she'd extracted from him actually stopping him from doing it while she was awake.

It made her feel insecure. Paranoid. _Helpless._

Which was why the first thing she always did whenever she arrived in the dream world was intertwine their hands and initiate their connection. It didn't matter if she was angry or sad; she needed to reassure herself that he was still there – still here with her – and she hadn't lost him.

She didn't want to lose him. She _couldn't_ lose him.

 _-But maybe you deserve to-_ , a cruel voice whispered at the back of her head. _-Maybe you don't deserve to have him in your life.-_

And that was the other half of the problem, wasn't it?

Because Mon-El harbouring the intention to sever their bond was one thing; her not noticing it at all whether out of genuine obliviousness or wilful ignorance was another.

As angry as she was at him for this, she was equally angry at herself for essentially allowing this to happen. Angry and ashamed.

How could she call herself his best friend if she could fail to discern his true thoughts and feelings about their connection for so long? What kind of a friend did that make her, let alone a supposed 'best' friend? Did she even really know him at all?

Yet she'd been doing nothing but punish him for his part. In fact, if she was being honest with herself, she'd been pushing the feelings of anger and sorrow she had that were meant for herself onto him.

It wasn't fair.

Nothing about this whole situation was fair, of course, but in this particular instance there was something she could do about it.

“Kara.”

She just had to work up the courage to actually _do_ it.

“Kara? Hello?”

Then maybe... just maybe... they could start to fix things between them.

“Hello, Earth to Kara?”

A hand came into view, its waving motion drawing her attention and snapping her out of her thoughts in the process, and Kara looked up to find Eve staring at her questioningly. “Um, sorry,” Kara apologised sincerely. “Did you... uh, say something?”

“I asked you what's wrong,” Eve was kind enough to repeat herself without taking offence. “You've been kind of moody for the last couple of weeks.”

Kara winced. “Was I that obvious?”

Instead of answering verbally, Eve just gave her a pointed look.

“Right. Of course.” Kara heaved a sigh and let herself slump over the table as she stared unseeingly at the cafe menu in front of her. They had decided to take a break in the middle of yet another one of Eve's window shopping episodes which were usually fun if a little exhausting but Kara's mind and heart had been elsewhere – a very specific elsewhere – so it had been hard for her to muster any kind of enthusiasm for... anything, really.

Eve took a sip of her drink before she spoke again. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Another gusty sigh escaped Kara as she contemplated what to say. It was moments like these that she almost regretted her decision to keep everything about Mon-El a secret from everyone else. Not that she could talk about him to Eve without revealing literally everything including her true identity, of course, but the point still stood. Logically, she knew why she _had_ to; there was the risk, however minimal, she had known from the beginning that someone could succeed in convincing her that Mon-El wasn't real and possibly severing their connection as a result. It was a fear that had grown exponentially since she had learnt that he seemed to _want_ that to happen. Aside from that, there was also the risk of the DEO finding out and deciding to cart her away in order to experiment on her. It didn't matter to her what Henshaw had said about them no longer actively monitoring her; she didn't trust them and she never would.

Mon-El had always been the one she went to when she needed to vent or get a second opinion; she had no one to go to when _he_ was the topic she needed to vent or get a second opinion about.

It sucked.

“It's just...” She trailed off as she tried to figure out a way to discuss her problems without going into the specifics. “Do you ever get so afraid of losing the people you care about that potentially losing them is the only thing you can think about?”

Eve's expression morphed into one of understanding. “Jeremiah's death is still weighing on your mind, I take it?”

Kara shifted restlessly in her seat. “Kind of.” It was technically not a lie; she had no doubt that she would carry the guilt she felt over her role in his fate with her for the rest of her life and his funeral had been what had led to the revelation about Mon-El's intentions, after all. “But it's not the only thing I've been thinking about. Alex is in her senior year which means that by this time next year, she's going to be halfway around the country attending whichever college or university she picks.”

This was also not a lie; Alex had in fact been so laser-focused on her higher education goals that the two of them barely spent any quality time together any more. Kara couldn't fault her adoptive sister for it, however; she knew very well that Alex was taking this matter incredibly seriously because she was determined to earn a scholarship and thus lessen the financial burden her studies were going to place on Eliza. (She was probably also doing it to distract herself from her father's death but Kara knew better than to bring that up.) Kara herself was intent on doing the same thing when it was her turn for the same reason so she could understand completely. Getting herself to stop seeing it as Alex abandoning her, however, was easier said than done.

“You're going to miss her.” Eve reached a hand out to pat Kara's comfortingly. “You know, I kind of envy how close the two of you are even though you're not related by blood. It makes me kind of sad I'm an only child.”

“It's not fun all the time, mind you,” Kara noted somewhat wryly. “And for the record, we _really_ didn't get along at first. It took a while and a _lot_ of effort for us to get where we are today.”

“Still.” Eve sighed forlornly before giving Kara a meaningful look. “But it's not just her going off to further her studies that's bothering you, is it? You're worried that something might happen to her and you won't be able to do anything about it because she'll be so far away.”

“...Yeah,” Kara admitted reluctantly. That was her other major concern about Alex moving away to Rao knew where – she would be unable to rush to Alex's side and help her if anything happened. “I know it's irrational but I can't help worrying about her.”

“Oh, Kara... It's not irrational,” Eve reassured her. “I mean, you used to live in the city so you should know about the dangers. Well, it was probably safer in Metropolis because of Superman but yes, there are a lot of things to worry about like drug dealers, drunk drivers, burglars, rapists, murderers, serial killers, muggers, bad sushi...”

Kara stared, mouth agape. “I don't see how that's supposed to comfort me... and how in the world is bad sushi comparable to _serial killers_?”

“Death by tetrodotoxin poisoning as a result of eating inadequately prepared pufferfish is a possibility that never gets taken seriously enough,” Eve replied, and Kara could not for the life of her tell if her friend was joking or not. “But we're digressing. You're worried about Alex. It's perfectly reasonable. However!” The girl jabbed a finger in Kara's face and only narrowly avoided knocking her glasses askew. “I think you're worrying _too_ much. This is Alex we're talking about after all; she can take care of herself. You have to trust that she'll do just that.”

“I suppose,” Kara mumbled and sighed for the umpteenth time that day. “Thanks, Eve.”

Eve waved her hand dismissively. “That's what friends are for. Now, what do you think about finishing up our drinks and getting back to our window shopping? Because I can't stop thinking about that violet blouse I pointed out to you earlier.”

A soft laugh – possibly her first in a long while – bubbled out of Kara despite her still-lingering worries about both Alex and Mon-El. “Admit it; you're just intent on getting me back to that store because you haven't given up on convincing me to buy that white dress in the display window,” she accused. Privately, however, she had to admit that the dress was quite nice; it reminded her a little of one of the dresses she'd owned back on Krypton although this one was of course meant to be worn by a teenager instead of a small child.

“Come on, Kara,” Eve pleaded as she clasped Kara's hands. “I know you'd look _gorgeous_ in it. I mean, you're already really pretty but if you wore that dress, I bet every guy at school would have a hard time taking their eyes off you.”

Unbidden, the random thought of what Mon-El would say if he saw her in that dress flitted through her mind. It was confusing; he'd long ago stopped commenting about what she wore when she showed up in the dream world – a real blessing since he used to love teasing her about her cartoon pyjamas – so why did she expect him to start again now? She shook away the perplexing thought; it was probably just because a part of her was still focused on him and the issues surrounding their currently rocky relationship. Yes, that was likely it. _Tonight_ , she promised herself. _I'll sleep early tonight and start trying to fix our friendship._ “Okay, okay, let's go,” she told Eve instead. “But I'm still not buying that dress.”

(She bought the dress in the end. Eve was inordinately pleased with herself.)

 

* * *

 

“I'm going out. And you're coming with me.”

Kara stared blankly, unsure as to how she was supposed to respond to Alex's out-of-the-blue announcement. “What? Where? Why?”

Letting out a frustrated huff, Alex held up a pair of what looked like tickets and waved them in Kara's face. “I have two tickets for a concert that's taking place tonight and Vicki was supposed to go with me but she bailed at the last second and I don't want the other ticket to go to waste. So get your jacket and let's go. Mom's given us the green light and I'm driving.”

“Um, okay?” So much for sleeping early tonight. Fixing things with Mon-El would have to wait; besides, this was the first opportunity she'd had in a long while to spend time with Alex ever since the girl's higher education preparation frenzy had begun and she didn't want to waste it even if it was just to kind of play bodyguard. Speaking of which... “Not to sound pushy or anything like that but what about your preparations?”

“I need a break every now and then, you know,” Alex pointed out. “This is one of those breaks. Now let's go already. I don't want to have to literally fight for parking.”

Kara didn't need to be told twice; Alex when she was determined to secure the ideal parking space was a terrifying force to be reckoned with and she didn't want to experience that any more than she had to. It was one of the few things she was definitely _not_ going to miss when Alex moved out.

In her haste to follow her adoptive sister, however, Kara failed to ask exactly what kind of concert they were attending. Instead, the two girls filled the drive there mostly with questions about how Alex's preparations were going (short answer: tiring) and Eve's latest celebrity crushes (short answer: too many to count). It was only after they had arrived at their destination, parked the car and entered the venue that Kara began to wonder exactly what she had gotten herself into. Everyone around them was dressed in black, a lot of them had tattoos and some of them were even sporting scary-looking accessories like spiked chokers.

...Were those people over there wearing _goth make-up_?

“Um... Alex...?” Kara started warily as she kept looking around, realising with a growing sense of discomfort and dread that she stood out like a sore thumb in her faded jeans, light pink T-shirt and denim jacket. “We _are_ attending a concert by some punk-rock band, right?”

The grin that formed on Alex's face was positively evil. “I said no such thing. And punk-rock is _so_ last season.”

That sense of dread was slowly starting to morph into full-blown panic. “Alex, what genre of music is this band?”

Alex's grin grew impossibly eviller. “Death metal.”

Kara paled. “Wait, _what_?!”

That was the last time she heard her own voice, much less her own thoughts, for the next two hours because an inhuman shrieking voice accompanied by equally infernal sounds began blasting from every speaker in the venue.

 

* * *

 

“I hate you so much right now.”

“What?!” Alex hollered despite the fact that she was sitting right next to Kara, never once taking her eyes off the road as she continued to drive them home. “Speak up! I can't hear you!”

Kara cringed with every shouted word that left her adoptive sister's lips; even covering her ears with her hands was not enough to dampen the volume. Her accelerated healing was probably the only reason her ears which were still ringing were not actually bleeding outright. “Please, not so loud,” she begged.

“Talk louder!” Alex yelled again, causing Kara to cringe once again.

“I said I hate you so much right now!” Kara hissed.

“Oh.” Alex grinned. Her hearing seemed to have returned, thank Rao. “I can live with that.”

“I can't believe you managed to find a type of music worse than punk-rock...” Kara muttered.

“I think you mean 'better',” Alex replied easily.

“And _I_ think we'll have to agree to disagree on that,” Kara shot back bitterly. “Honestly, you're making me start to resent Vicki because I would've been spared this torture if she hadn't bailed on you.”

“...Actually, I lied about that.”

Alex's admission caused Kara to whip her head around and stare at her adoptive sister. “What?”

Unperturbed, Alex merely shrugged. “I never invited her. That was just something I made up to get you to come with me.”

“But... _why_?” Kara demanded to know. “Why couldn't you just have asked me? Why all the subterfuge?”

“Well, I was pretty sure you would never have agreed to come if you knew what kind of music I was going to subject you to. And... well...” Alex's expression turned sheepish. “We haven't been able to spend much time together lately so I thought this was a good opportunity to do just that.”

Kara's features softened. “Alex...”

“What I'm saying is...” Alex sucked in a breath and let it out in a frustrated huff. “I'm going to miss you too when I move out, okay?”

“...You know, the only reason I'm not hugging you right now is the fact that you're driving,” Kara finally managed to say after she swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Ugh, don't get sappy on me. I know we're alone right now but I have a reputation to maintain, okay?” Alex complained. “Besides, it's not like we can't stay in contact. I'm not moving to some backwater place with no internet connection or phone reception, after all. We can still text, email or call each other every day if we want to.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Kara's lips. “You _do_ remember that your mother is the one who pays our phone bills, right?”

“Meh. I'm sure Mom will be fine with it.”

“...Promise? That you'll keep in touch, I mean.”

“If you do the same, sure.”

“I will.”

“Then it's settled.”

A period of silence followed.

“I still hate you for tonight though.”

“Love you too, lil' sis.”

 

* * *

 

As nice as it had been to spend time with Alex – highly questionable choice of activity aside –, Kara's mind had drifted back to the main source of her anxiety for the past few weeks by the time they were back home and getting ready to go to sleep: Mon-El. She had at least managed to figure out how she wanted to address the issue complicating their friendship even if she wasn't entirely sure what to say specifically so it was with a modicum of self-confidence that she allowed sleep to claim her.

She still breathed a small sigh of relief when she opened her eyes again to find him waiting for her in the dream world.

_He's here. He's still here. I haven't lost him._

She still walked over, intertwined their hands and initiated their mental connection just to be certain.

_You're here. You're still here. I haven't lost you._

Like always, he stayed quiet and the blue-grey energy in her head shifted restlessly as he waited for her to either start yelling at him or crying her eyes out.

But she was done with that. At least for now.

“I don't want to be upset with you any more,” she finally said, making sure to keep her voice as even as possible. “I'm... I'm tired of it, Mon-El. I want us to go back to how we were before this.”

“...But...?” he prodded her.

“But I won't deny that it hurt – that it _still_ hurts – to know that you've been having those thoughts for so long. And...” She drew a fortifying breath. “And I won't deny that I hold myself partially responsible for this.”

He stared uncomprehendingly at her, his confusion clear both on his face and through the link. “What? Kara-”

She held up a hand to stop him. “Let me finish, Mon-El. Please.” He closed his mouth again despite clearly wanting to say more, and for that she was grateful. “I... I can't help but feel that I could have done something to stop you from having these thoughts in the first place. And I can't call myself your best friend if I can miss something like this. So... I want to say I'm sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologise for, Kara,” he cut her off with a frown. “I was trying to keep it from you, after all.”

Kara couldn't help but level a flat look at him. “We both know you're a terrible liar and you fail miserably whenever you try to keep something from me, Mon-El. If I didn't see it, it was likely because I chose not to see it. I've been angry at myself for it all this while but I've been taking it out on you. That wasn't fair of me so I have to apologise for that and... and I hope you can forgive me.”

“Of course,” he replied quickly.

It was her turn to frown. “I think you forgave me a little too easily.”

He blinked. “...You _want_ me to be mad at you?”

“Well, I mean...” she verbally stumbled, suddenly very aware that she really didn't like the idea of him being angry at her, “you _can_ be if you want to...”

He blinked again. “But I don't want to.”

A soft sigh of relief escaped her despite herself. “Okay.”

“...So what happens now?” he asked after a beat of silence passed.

She looked between their intertwined hands and his troubled expression. “Are you... Are you still intent on trying to convince me that severing our connection is the right thing to do?”

The muscles in his jaw clenched tight, but she knew that he wouldn't lie to her. “...Yes.”

It was an answer she had expected, but it still hurt to hear it. “Why?”

“Because I meant what I said, Kara. I know you, remember? You're insanely stubborn and reckless. Once you decide to do something, you dedicate yourself to it regardless of what it might cost you. And the last thing I want is for you to get hurt or waste the majority of your life trying to accomplish something that might turn out to be impossible when you could be doing...” he waved his free hand around vaguely, “anything else.”

“Even if it's rescuing you?”

“ _Especially_ if it's rescuing me.”

“I took the Sacred Oath.”

“You can revoke it.”

It was taking her a significant amount of effort to keep her voice level. She had to remind herself repeatedly that he was only doing this because he cared in his own stupid way. _And he has the nerve to call Kal-El an idiot_ , she thought bitterly. “Nothing you say could convince me to do that, Mon-El. _Nothing_ could convince me to give up on you. And I've been balancing my life well enough all these years between everything I have to do as Kara Danvers and everything I want to do as Kara Zor-El. I can _keep_ it balanced. Your concerns are unfounded.”

“Something could change.”

They were getting nowhere. She had gone to sleep tonight intent on ending this situation between them and she was determined to achieve her goal. “If I promise that nothing that could upset that balance will happen, will you drop this?”

He hesitated before answering, and that told her everything she needed to know. “I won't hold you to that because you can't actually guarantee that... and because I would be lying if I did so. I _will_ , however, promise that I won't sever our connection; that decision will be yours to make... but I reserve the right to try and convince you that it's the right one.”

It was distasteful, but it probably the best she was going to get out of him considering everything. Besides, she was under no obligation to actually _listen_. “Thank you.”

“Can _you_ promise me something in return?”

Understandably wary, it took her a while to respond. “What?”

“If you decide to give up-”

“I won't.”

“ _If_ you decide to give up,” he repeated pointedly, “promise me you'll just let me go and move on with your life. I don't want you to feel guilty about it or anything like that. That's all I ask.”

“...Fine,” she bit out reluctantly. “I promise.” Even though she had no intention of giving up in the first place, making that promise didn't sit well with her. If that was what it took to fix things between them, however, it was a relatively small price to pay.

“Thank you.”

Another long stretch of silence ensued.

“...So are we... okay?” he asked tentatively.

“As okay as we're going to get, I think,” she sighed and closed her eyes as she finally gave in to the urge to hug him. “Just so you know, I didn't enjoy being mad at you.”

“That makes two of us,” he murmured as he hugged her back. “Can I... ask you something?”

She cracked her eyes open again and met his nervous-looking gaze. “...What?”

“I didn't... uh, miss anything big in your life, right? While you were mad at me, I mean.”

“Like what?”

He shrugged even as the blue-grey energy continued to swirl restlessly in her head. “Like your sixteenth birthday.”

She had not expected _that_ of all things. “You... What?”

It was hard to believe but he seemed almost... shy? “I can't keep track of time very well here but remembering how old you are is easy. Plus, I know what it means to you and I just... I need to know. So... did I? Miss it, I mean.”

“N-No,” she stuttered, and had no idea why this – whatever this was in the first place – was affecting her this way. “No, you didn't.”

His relief was clear both on his face and through their link. “Good. Good. That's... uh, good.” Then he weirdly got anxious again. “You'll tell me, right? When it is? Your birthday, I mean.”

“I... Yes? Why the insistence, Mon-El?” she asked with genuine bewilderment.

“Well, I mean...” He shrugged again but the tension in every fibre of his being was too obvious to ignore. “I want to celebrate it with you. You know, like usual. Well, not really like usual since this one will be more significant than the others. Because... well, you know why. Unless you don't want to,” he quickly added.

“NO!” Her outburst caught them both by surprise and she flushed. “I-I mean, I want to. Celebrate it with you, that is. S-So. Um. I'll let you know.”

“Okay, that's great.” He smiled tentatively, and she realised with a start that she hadn't seen him smile in a long while. It was strange how something so small could be missed so much. “Was there anything I _did_ miss though? Like smaller but still noteworthy things?”

Memories of the concert Alex had tricked her into attending crossed her mind, and Kara couldn't help the somewhat mischievous smile that formed on her face. (She didn't know it, but Mon-El found he'd really missed seeing her smile too.) “Well, Alex introduced me to her new favourite type of music tonight.”

“Oh?” Mon-El was both curious and oblivious. “Is it at least better than that 'punk-rock' racket she liked before this?”

“Give it a listen and form your own opinion,” was all she said before she replayed a sample of the cacophony she'd had to endure. As the human saying went, 'Misery loves company.'

Just as expected, his immediate reaction was to slap his hands over his ears and let out a string of colourful curses, and Kara thought she couldn't be faulted for laughing at the sight of his horrified expression.

Maybe things between them couldn't completely go back to the way they were before, but as long as they could talk to each other and share the important things both big and small, she could believe that they were going to be all right.

 

* * *

 

Just as Kara predicted, their friendship slowly but surely returned to what it used to be for the most part in the following days... or nights, if one wanted to be pedantic. She shared her worries about Alex moving away – worries Mon-El put to rest with practised ease using points that Eve and Alex had also brought up – and he introduced her to music he had heard when visiting other planets ostensibly to keep her idea of what real music sounded like from being completely corrupted by “those barbaric humans”.

(He still tried every now and then to convince her to sever their connection, however, much to her frustration. Only her awareness that she had to keep proving to him that he was not in fact having a detrimental effect on her life kept her from pushing her efforts to rescue him into overdrive. The continued existence of their bond hinged on the delicate balance of both her identities and if that was the case, then nothing that could upset that balance would be tolerated. The stakes were just too high.)

Time marched on, and with every passing day that brought her closer to her sixteenth birthday, Kara found herself getting more and more nervous.

It was mystifying.

She had expected to be at least a little sad thinking about what it would have been like if she were still on Krypton. Turning sixteen would have meant finishing her apprenticeship, becoming an official member of her given Guild and being recognised as an adult among her people.

But all she could think about was the eagerness with which Mon-El had expressed his desire to mark the occasion with her... and her own surprising eagerness to celebrate it with him.

“Do you even know what happens at a Kryptonian coming of age ceremony?” she finally asked him a few days before the date itself.

“Well, no,” he admitted somewhat sheepishly, “but I suppose you could tell me so that I can do whatever it is I need to do. I mean, I _am_ your mentor after all, even though our Guild sadly hasn't been needed much lately.” It was the unfortunate consequence of their resounding success, and even Kara had to grudgingly admit that she missed pulling pranks on well-deserving targets a little.

She hummed thoughtfully as she recalled the details. “Let's see... the ceremony begins with a speech-”

At the mention of the word 'speech', however, Mon-El's face fell. “A speech? Really? Do all Kryptonian events consist of nothing but one boring speech after another?”

“What's wrong with a good speech?” she asked defensively. “And not all our ceremonies were like that!”

“I seem to recall you telling me that there was also a long-winded speech when you finished your Kanar-Onn,” he pointed out. “I mean, I get that a speech is appropriate for a rite of passage requiring hours and hours of studies of Kryptonian history – or, as I like to call it, propaganda – but a speech for everything? Did your people really have no concept of fun aside from Garata?”

“That is _not_ true!” she protested hotly.

“Oh yeah? Then give me one good example,” he challenged her.

“Well, we... um...” she trailed off as she wracked her brain for something before blurting out the first thing that came to mind. “We danced!”

A bemused smile formed on his face. “Really? Dancing?”

“Yes,” she insisted. “And for the record, my father taught me. So there.” She didn't know why she had to reveal that but it seemed important.

“I see.” His expression turned wistful. “I miss dancing. I used to dance a lot, you know. Both on Daxam and other planets I had to visit.”

“We could dance then,” she found herself suggesting without thinking, and felt her cheeks heat when her words finally registered in her head. “I-I-I mean, it's just that... you _are_ my mentor after all so you don't have to give a speech if you don't want to. I'm just... um, suggesting a compromise of sorts.” She was blushing. Why was she blushing?

“Are you sure?” he asked dubiously. “Because I can come up with a speech if you really want me to.”

“N-No, it's okay.” It was more than okay even if she couldn't really explain why. Besides, she had a feeling he would make an absolute mess of his speech anyway by filling it with terrible jokes and groan-worthy puns. (She would probably still laugh, but that was beside the point.) “I don't mind. Dancing. W-With you, I mean.”

“Well then.” He smiled warmly at her, and seeing it triggered a strange fluttery feeling in her chest. “Let's give it a try, shall we?”

It turned out to be a good thing that they'd decided to attempt this before the actual day itself because when they stepped forward towards each other, both of them miraculously ended up trampling each other's toes even as her forehead collided with his chin.

“Ow!” “Ow!”

“What are you doing?” she demanded to know as she pressed a hand to the throbbing spot on her skull.

“ _Me?_ What are _you_ doing?” he fired back as he massaged his chin.

“I was getting into position, that's what!”

“Well, so was I!”

“...Wait, were you expecting me to follow your lead and learn a Daxamite style of dancing?”

“Well, it's not like I know how you Kryptonians danced. And I'm your mentor so shouldn't you be learning from me?”

“It's _my_ birthday and coming of age ceremony. Which, if you remember, is a _Kryptonian_ ceremony.”

They glared at each other silently for a while until Mon-El spoke up. “How about another compromise?”

Kara narrowed her eyes, wary but still curious. “What are you suggesting?”

“We meet in the middle and come up with our own style,” he suggested as if it was something completely normal and not at all insane. “A little bit of yours and a little bit of mine. We'll keep it simple.”

She gaped. “W-What?”

“We're only... what, a few days away from the date itself, right? Even with the short eternities we have each visit, it's not enough time for either of us to learn a completely new dance style by then,” he explained. “This way, both of us just have to learn a little each and then we can fill in the blanks with something we're both comfortable with. How about it?”

It was a reasonable solution. Very logical. Well-thought-out. Practical.

“O-Okay.”

Strangely enough, none of those felt like the reason she agreed in the end.

 

* * *

 

It was with nervous anticipation that she fell asleep on the night of her birthday after a whole day of being incredibly distracted thinking about it. Everyone had noticed and commented on her strange behaviour but she had made excuse after excuse, less than eager for a variety of reasons to share the real reason her head was in the clouds.

“S-So,” she found herself stuttering when she finally showed up in the dream world. “Um. It's my birthday today.”

The way his face lit up made him look like an overeager puppy, and the laugh his expression elicited out of her helped ease her nerves a little. “Happy birthday! How are you feeling?”

She shrugged somewhat shyly. “Good. Um. Happy, I guess.”

“You guess?” he teased her.

“ _Fine._ Yes, I'm happy,” she glowered at him although her blush didn't fade.

“That's better. Now...” He swung his arm out in a sweeping motion, and the main grand hall of Daxam's royal palace, tastefully decorated with dar-essa flowers, formed around them. (He had won that little quibble, having successfully argued that his preferred venue was far grander than hers.) “Shall we?”

“Wait.” It had been fine to practise while wearing her pyjamas but Kara thought she couldn't be faulted for wanting to look her best tonight and transformed her sleepwear into the white dress she had bought with Eve a while back. Satisfied, she then looked at Mon-El meaningfully. “Well?”

He looked back uncomprehendingly. “Well what?”

She sulked. “It would be nice if you changed too, you know.” (A part of her was also a little upset that he hadn't commented about her dress but she pushed the strange thought out of her head almost immediately.)

One of his eyebrows arched. “Making demands, are we?”

“ _Please?_ ” she begged, batting her eyes and pouting for good measure.

As expected, he sighed in defeat and she silently cheered. “Fine. But only because it's your special day.” Then he closed his eyes in concentration and his clothes shifted, his red shirt and black pants transforming into a smart-looking grey attire she presumed was the Daxamite royalty's equivalent of formal wear.

It was a very nice change, to say the least.

“You clean up nicely,” she noted with a smile, her cheeks flushing despite herself, and that strange fluttery feeling in her chest made itself known again.

“I know,” he said as he gave her a roguish wink, and she almost – _almost_ – regretted paying him that compliment. “Before I forget, here.” He stepped closer and tucked the maejlis flower that had formed in his hand behind her left ear. “Since your hands will be occupied after this,” he explained simply.

“Th-Thank you,” she mumbled, her blush intensifying, as she raised a hand to touch the blossom... only said hand was intercepted halfway by his own as he turned her hand around so he could press a soft kiss to the centre of her palm.

Her mind went blank.

Mon-El started almost immediately and released her hand before taking a step back, and Kara would have noticed the disappearance of the blue-grey energy in her head if she had been able to have a coherent thought. “Sorry,” he apologised sincerely, a somewhat sheepish smile playing on his lips. “Old habits. That was how we used to formally greet each other at social events on Daxam. The setting kind of made me forget where I really was. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“N-N-No, it's, um, it's f-fine,” she stuttered, certain that her cheeks were practically glowing red that very second. “I don't really mind. I-I-I mean,” she tried to verbally backtrack. What in Rao's name was wrong with her? It was just a formal greeting, after all. A very Daxamite kind of greeting, but still just a greeting nonetheless. There was no need to get so flustered. “You just... surprised me, that's all.” Eager to move on before she found out if it was possible to die of embarrassment, dream world or not, she gestured animatedly at their surroundings. “Um, shall we?”

“All right.” Thankfully, he obliged her by not pursuing the subject and instead held out his hand as he offered her a warm smile. “May I have this dance, Lady Kara?”

Breathing an internal sigh of relief, she raised her arms and intertwined her right hand with his left one as her other hand came to rest gently on his shoulder while he took that as his cue to rest his free hand on her waist. (It still made her shiver regardless of how many times he'd done it during their practice sessions.) “You may. Your Highness,” she added as an afterthought; it seemed... nice, she supposed, to just play along. A little harmless fun to get her mind off... whatever else kind of thoughts were crowding around in her head at the moment. The blue-grey energy was a warm and soothing presence in her head but she still found herself feeling a little nervous, and not for the first time she wondered just what he was seeing when her thoughts slipped into his head through the link.

Then he started the music she had chosen – a slow melody from one of the few planets they had both visited – and she put that too out of her mind as they began dancing.

“You know,” he said casually after a while, “I suddenly remembered a certain someone telling me years ago that she was going to be taller than me when she grew up.”

The effectiveness of the glare she shot him was dampened by the blush that dusted her cheeks. “I caught up enough,” she retorted defensively. “And why do you even remember something as insignificant as that?”

“I've said this before: I remember everything you tell me.” He leaned in a little while wearing that mischievous smirk of his, and suddenly he was all she could see. “Aren't you glad we didn't make an official bet on it?”

“I-I-I...”

He pulled away with a cheeky laugh, and she couldn't decide if she felt relieved or disappointed. Then she wondered what reason she could possibly have for feeling disappointed. “Come to think of it, this kind of reminds me of the time I had to dance with the new High Priestess of T'chelmu at her ascension ceremony-”

She stepped on his toes. _Definitely annoyed_ , she decided sourly.

“Ow! Hey! What was that for?!”

“Figure it out yourself,” she muttered irritatedly. Honestly, how rude was it of him to talk about dancing with someone else while he was dancing with her _on her birthday_? He should be glad stepping on his toes was all she'd done.

“...O _kay_...” he trailed off as he eyed her strangely. “I'm not entirely sure why you're upset but all I want to know is if I can make it up to you.”

“Well, I'm not helping you figure _that_ out either,” she huffed.

He winced. “Wow, you're really mad at me, huh?” When she didn't respond, he sighed wearily before perking up almost immediately. “Okay, let's see... how about a little lesson? I never did get around to teaching you about Daxam's pantheon, did I?”

She eyed him warily even as they continued to dance, but she could not deny that she was curious even though she felt like accepting his offer would be letting him off too lightly. “No...”

He hummed innocently, but the twinkle in his eyes as well as the mischievous tinge to the blue-grey energy in her head told her he was up to something. But what? “Well, you know we worshipped Rao like your people but we also worshipped a host of other gods as well. You already know about Yuda but there was also Telle, the god of wisdom-”

She raised an eyebrow. “Daxam had a god of wisdom?”

The blue-grey energy seemed to form a tendril with which it poked her mind. “We sought pleasure in all its forms, you know, and I'd like to remind you that even _you_ derive pleasure from learning new things,” he chided her good-naturedly. “In fact, Telle was Bal-Seg's patron god although that shouldn't surprise you.”

“In that case, I apologise for doubting you,” she said sincerely.

“Apology accepted,” he replied easily. “Where was I... ah yes. Lorra, the goddess of art. Vohc, the god of crafting. And of course we had a goddess of beauty.”

She let out an unladylike snort. “Of course.”

“Do you know what she was called?” He seemed impossibly more impish than before.

“...What?” she asked warily, almost certain she was being set up for a big joke.

The smile he gave her was both playful and sincere. “Kara.”

She stumbled and only managed to recover because he was quick enough to prevent her from falling. “W-W-What?” He had to be lying. He had to. It was too much of a coincidence.

But when she looked at his face and into his mind, she saw nothing but honesty.

He shrugged a little sheepishly. “I admit, I didn't really make the connection when you first introduced yourself because your name is pronounced somewhat differently from hers. They _are_ in different languages after all. Plus, she isn't actually worshipped either – I mean, it's a little difficult to worship a god who's the embodiment of beauty without relying on the forms of worship used for the other gods – so I admit I didn't think about her until much later when I was teaching you how to write your name in Daxamite. You know, it was considered sacrilegious on Daxam to name one's children after the gods and they would supposedly strike down anyone who did that but...” He gave her another wink. “I think the goddess will make an exception for you.”

It was suddenly hard to breathe. Or form a coherent thought, even. “Y-You... Y-You think I'm beautiful?”

“Fishing for compliments, are we?” he teased her instead of answering her question.

She blushed and tried to backpedal. “N-”

“Crinkle,” he pointed out in a sing-song voice, and the way the blue-grey energy curled around her thoughts seemed to say, “There's no getting out of this.”

“W-Well, so what if I am?” she fired back eventually although it was a painfully weak attempt at a retort and she made it harder for herself by refusing to meet his gaze. “I... I like it when you compliment me. It just... It means a lot when it comes from you. Is that so wrong?”

“No...” he answered slowly.

“...S-So...” She glanced up at him, felt her cheeks heat up even more and diverted her gaze back down to her feet. “Do... Do you?”

There was a moment where there was only the music and the sound of her own mysteriously pounding heart filling her ears and she was close to just asking him to forget about it before he finally answered. “I think anyone who believes otherwise is blind or insane.”

“O-Oh. I-I see.” If her cheeks got any hotter, she was sure she was going to burst into flames. “Um. Th-Thank you.”

“You're welcome,” he replied easily with a casual shrug. “So am I forgiven?”

“Huh?” It took her longer than appropriate for her to remember what had led to this reveal and when she did, a part of her was weirdly grateful for it in hindsight. “Uh, yes. Yes, you're forgiven.”

“That's good,” he laughed as the last notes of the melody floated through the air, “because I was really hoping I could end the dance on a positive note.”

Mon-El had, in fact, done just that... but Kara found herself wishing the music had continued on for at least a little while longer.

_I don't want this to end._

So instead of stepping away when he pulled his hands away from her, she stepped closer and wrapped her now free arms around him as she let her eyes slide shut.

“Kara?” His confusion was evident in the tone of his voice and the state of the blue-grey energy in her head but to her immense relief he chose to hold her instead of pushing her away.

“Can we just stay like this for a bit?” she mumbled.

“...Sure.”

The silence that settled around them was a comfortable one but it came to an end when he decided to speak up.

“Kara-”

“Don't.”

“...Don't what?”

“Don't ruin the moment, Mon-El. Please.”

“...You don't know what I was going to say.”

“We both know what you were going to say and I'm asking you not to say it. Please, Mon-El.”

She felt more than heard his sigh. “I just want you to be happy.”

“I _am_ happy.”

“You could be happier.”

“I'd be happier if my best friend stopped trying to say things that he already knows will upset me. And on my birthday, no less.”

Another sigh escaped him. “All right. I won't talk about it. Not now, anyway.”

“Thank you.”

“You know,” he spoke up again after another stretch of silence, “I prepared a speech just in case you wanted me to give one.”

She smothered the smile that formed on her lips in the fabric of his shirt. “You did, did you?”

“Mhm. I'd like to think I've been a pretty great mentor all this while and it didn't seem right to end my mentorship on a bad note so I worked something out while you weren't around. It's a pretty awesome speech too, if I do say so myself.”

“Of course you'd say that. Well, come on then. Let's hear it. I wouldn't want your efforts to go to waste after all.”

As expected, his speech which highlighted the greatest accomplishments of their Prankster Guild was full of atrocious jokes and puns.

She laughed at all of them anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the heart of a maiden in love is a beautiful thing indeed.
> 
> The heart of a maiden in love who is oblivious to her feelings, on the other hand, is a source of amusement and frustration. (Not that Mon-El is any better, the equally oblivious idiot.)
> 
> ...I wonder if this is the point where someone screams "OMG MAKE THEM KISS ALREADY" at me in the comments...
> 
> PS: For the sake of clarification, Kara's dress is the white one she starts off wearing in the Black Mercy dream from Season 1 while Mon-El's outfit is his attire from the attempted forced marriage in Season 2's finale.


	13. Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's the kind of talk where you say too much... and the kind of Talk where you learn too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, apologies for not being able to make my original Sunday deadline. Real life intruded on my weekend again and I had to take an extra day to finish this chapter. I really do hope to get back to my usual update schedule but I'm starting to think that's impossible...
> 
> In any case, I hope you enjoy this update. On that note... akane171? This is the chapter you've been waiting for. Heh heh heh heh.

It was a little absurd in hindsight but a part of Kara had been expecting some grand change in her life after she turned sixteen. She supposed that it was due to the fact that a part of her would always think of herself and her life as if she was still back on Krypton. As a child, she had looked forward to the occasion with breathless anticipation, having imagined this entire fairytale adult life waiting for her at the end of her coming of age ceremony. She had dreamed of all the things she would accomplish as an official member of whichever Guild she had joined whether it was a technological breakthrough or a fantastic piece of artwork.

Most of the time, however, her fantasies had involved her being a full-fledged member of the Thinker Guild, becoming a brilliant well-respected scientist exactly like her father and working alongside him. Those daydreams had been largely fuelled by the countless afternoons she had spent with him in his lab at home watching him work. Sometimes he would even involve her in his work by using her as a sounding board when he worked on a problem. It didn't seem to matter to him that she could barely comprehend whatever he was doing; he talked to her like she was another scientist – a peer – and it made her feel so special. He made her feel like she was the most important person that ever existed and she could not wait for the day that she could stand at his side as a true equal.

She had been robbed of that future when she had lost her world... but it was undeniable that thanks to Mon-El, she had gotten something close enough to it that she was satisfied. No, not satisfied; she was so incredibly happy there were no words to describe it. Sure, nothing about the coming of age ceremony she had had with him resembled the proper ceremony she should have had on Krypton but she didn't care. She had marked the occasion with the one person she knew fully understood what the day meant to her – the one person she had wanted to spend it with – and she wouldn't have had it any other way.

It had been days – weeks, even; where had the time gone? – but the memory of dancing with him still had the power to immediately draw a smile out of her. (The fact that said smile was always accompanied by a blush and that strange fluttery feeling in her chest was something she could not quite understand, however.)

Things were good. Great, even.

Aside from Mon-El's continued occasional attempts to convince her to sever their connection, that is, but she had come to accept long ago that she couldn't have everything she wanted in life. His stupidity in regard to this matter was something she was just going to have to tolerate.

Well, there was another wrinkle in her otherwise extremely contented life but she was starting to feel like she couldn't do anything about _that_ either: Alex's new favourite music genre.

Apparently that concert had not in fact been a one-time thing because the older Danvers sister began buying the albums of bands which were frankly terrifying both in terms of their names and their appearances. And those two qualities were perhaps the most positive ones she could attribute to them because the cacophony they produced was something she thought only counted as 'music' in some freakish Twilight Zone type of alternate universe.

Unfortunately for her, Alex found that listening to this racket to be “very relaxing” – perhaps the girl needed to be checked for some kind of brain injury – and had it on full blast every time she did anything related to her studies.

In their room. Their _shared_ room.

Based on everything that was going on with Alex, Kara had quickly come to the conclusion that senior year of high school was some human's attempt at creating the educational version of going to this 'hell' place they talked about a lot in their religions. There was just so much going on that it was a wonder that the average human teenager was supposed to be able to stay on top of it all without going insane.

When she looked at it that way, she really couldn't begrudge Alex for doing whatever she needed to do short of something extreme or illegal like taking drugs in order to keep her stress levels down.

She just wished that she – or more specifically, her ears – didn't have to suffer in the process.

“Could you at least turn down the volume a little?!” Kara hollered over the din with her hands over her ears like usual. St'rki expressed his own disapproval of the noise by meowing very angrily at the metal box making all the annoying sounds as he plotted to destroy it.

“I'll miss the nuance if I do that!” Alex hollered back.

“What nuance?!” Kara demanded to know incredulously.

“Girls, stop fighting!” Eliza finally decided to intervene once she realised that this fight was not going to get resolved anytime soon. “Alex, I'm going to have to side with Kara on this one. Your music is on a little too loud; I can hear it all the way downstairs.”

“But Mom!” Alex protested. “I need it to help me concentrate!”

Eliza would not be swayed, however. “I'm not saying you can't play your music at all. I'm just asking you to lower the volume to a reasonable level.”

Alex scowled. “Can't I just put on my headphones instead?”

“Absolutely not,” Eliza immediately shut her daughter's suggestion down as she decided to walk over to the stereo system and turn the volume down herself. “I don't want you to damage your hearing any more than you already are by doing that.”

Kara, who had by this time started feeling a little guilty about her role in the entire thing, tried to offer a compromise. “Eliza, maybe I could move into the guest bedroom for the time being? That way, Alex can blast her music at whatever volume she likes.”

“Okay, now you're just making me feel guilty,” Alex complained. “I'm not going to kick you out of our room just because I want to listen to my music. Geez, give me some credit here.”

St'rki meowed grumpily then, and Kara supposed it meant that he too objected to the idea of getting kicked out of the place he considered his eminent domain.

“I could use the sound dampening device Bruce made for me when I first arrived,” Kara offered next.

“That means _you_ can't wear your headphones and listen to your music,” Alex noted. “Doesn't work for me either.”

Another meow from St'rki seemed to indicate that he disapproved of this solution simply because _he_ didn't have his own sound dampening device.

The problem remained unsolved.

“Hello? Is anybody home?”

All three members of the Danvers household started at the unexpected voice originating from downstairs and it took Kara a moment to identify its owner as Eve. It was only after she had spent a few seconds confusedly wondering why the girl had come over that she remembered that they were supposed to go watch a movie together. A quick glance at the clock on her bedside table told her that yes, Eve was actually right on time and it was she who was running late.

“Grife,” Kara muttered under her breath as she snatched up her bag and dashed out of the room. The issue with Alex's music would have to be dealt with later; she didn't want to make Eve wait any longer than she likely already had.

As expected, she found one Eve Teschmacher waiting in the living room who beamed the moment she noticed Kara's arrival. “Morning, Kara! Oh, hi, Mrs Danvers! And you too, Alex!” she greeted each of them in turn. “Sorry I let myself in; no one answered when I knocked and the front door wasn't locked.”

“It's all right, Eve,” Eliza assured the girl with a smile. “You're always welcome in our house. We're sorry we didn't hear you; we were all upstairs.”

“Yeah, sorry about that and for nearly forgetting you were coming over,” Kara apologised. “Come on, let's get going or we won't have enough time to eat lunch before the movie,” she continued as she ushered Eve out the front door. “Bye, Eliza! Bye, Alex!”

“So,” Eve started after they had been walking for a while, “I feel like I have to apologise again for interrupting whatever it is your family was doing upstairs. It had to be pretty serious if it made you forget we were supposed to go out.”

“What? Oh, no, it's okay. Don't worry about it,” Kara waved off her friend's concerns. “We were just having yet another... um, discussion about Alex's music. Eliza's decided to step in.”

Eve patted Kara's shoulder comfortingly. “That bad, huh?”

“You don't know the half of it,” Kara groaned as she hung her head. “I know she's stressed about a lot of things and I want to support anything that could help her deal with that but why does she have to like such atrocious music? We were reaching the point where I was suggesting that I temporarily move out of our room.”

“That's extreme.” All of a sudden, Eve's sympathetic expression vanished and was replaced with a bright smile. “Wait, what if you _do_ move out? Well, not exactly but kind of anyway.”

Confused, Kara took a moment to form a response as she stared blankly at Eve. “What? What are you suggesting?”

There was an unmistakable bounce in Eve's steps which made Kara think her friend was a rabbit pretending to be a human. “How about you have a sleepover at my house every now and then?” she suggested excitedly. “I know you always said that you couldn't before this because Streaky doesn't like sleeping anywhere but your bed and without you but I'm sure he doesn't like this situation any more than you do so what if you brought him over with you? It won't be your bed but he'll have you and he won't have to deal with Alex's music. I'll have to ask Dad of course but I don't think he'll have any issues with it. I mean, it's not like either of us have allergies after all. So what do you say?”

St'rki had in fact been a decoy excuse; the real reason Kara had turned Eve down whenever she had suggested a sleepover before this was her worry that she would end up revealing her secret somehow. She still slipped up a little every now and then when she wasn't careful such as by speaking in Kryptonian when she was distracted but it was safe to do so in the Danvers residence surrounded by people who already knew. Another major issue was the fact that sleepovers naturally meant actually _sleeping over_ and she was worried she would accidentally use her powers in her sleep. (She still sleep-floated every now and then, much to her embarrassment, and couldn't for the life of her figure out what triggered it even after all these years.) Still, the offer was very tempting. Plus, it sounded... well, fun. “I... I'll think about it. Thanks for the offer, Eve,” Kara said instead as she offered her friend a genuine smile.

“No problem! Think about it, okay?” Eve replied easily. “Now, where should we go for lunch? Oh, how about that new Italian restaurant that opened near the supermarket? I feel like having some spaghetti...”

 

* * *

 

When she reached home later and tentatively brought up Eve's suggestion over dinner, Kara was unsure what kind of reactions she would get from Eliza and Alex. The idea had been incredibly appealing when she had first been presented with it but now that she had had time to think it over, all her anxieties had resurfaced and she didn't know if it was a good idea any more.

Surprisingly – or perhaps not –, Eliza was a lot less concerned about Kara potentially exposing her true identity and actually encouraged her to accept Eve's offer. “Sweetie, you worry too much,” the Danvers matriarch told her gently. “I'm confident you'll have everything under control and even if something happens, you'll be able to handle it. So go and have fun with your friend if you want to, all right?”

“Don't take this as a sign I'm excited about having the room to myself and not needing to compromise about my music but you should totally go have your sleepovers,” Alex chipped in. “Trust me, they're fun. Well, as long as Eve doesn't snore or sleepwalk or some other annoying thing.”

And that was that.

It took about a week of planning and one very long explanation to a very disgruntled St'rki – Kara was pretty sure she looked like a lunatic throughout the entire thing – but before she knew it, Kara found herself standing on the doorstep of the Teschmacher residence with an overnight bag in one hand and a cat carrier in the other ready to experience her first of many planned sleepovers.

Barely a second had passed after she'd rung the doorbell before the door opened and Eve greeted her with her usual blinding smile. “Kara! Come on in! Dad's cooking in the kitchen – I hope you like Mediterranean – so bring your stuff up to my room first and make yourself at home.”

“Are you sure it's okay for us to just hang out while he's doing all the work?” Kara asked, casually noting as usual how nice the house was as she followed Eve to her room. The Teschmachers seemed to be slightly better off than the Danvers due to what she assumed was the success of Ian's online business but their residence was no more extravagant in comparison. In fact, the most expensive thing she had ever noticed was the rather impressive security system installed in the house. It felt a little excessive considering Midvale's almost non-existent crime rate but she supposed this was the result of growing up in the city where she knew there was a higher chance of being burgled among other things.

She never missed the family photos plainly on display every time she visited, either. It was clear that the missing member of the Teschmacher household was in fact being missed dearly even if she was only a long drive away.

Oblivious to all of Kara's stray observations, Eve continued chatting happily. “Oh, don't worry about Dad. He's actually the kind of cook that hates having other people messing around in his kitchen. I think it has something to do with the fact that he cooks to relieve stress. Mom always said the easiest way to tell if he's had a bad day is to check if the fridge is filled with containers full of cooked food. Our family could survive the zombie apocalypse if we had to, I think. Or maybe not. Canned food is probably the better option. Lasts longer. I think I'm going to have to talk to Dad about stocking up. He _hates_ canned food.”

Kara merely shook her head in bemusement as she let Eve continue to ramble while she set about releasing St'rki from his portable prison. His first act was to critically eye his new temporary lodgings and give the air a haughty sniff before apparently deciding that Eve's room was satisfactory and rubbing his scent on every available surface. Luckily, Eve picked him up and began fussing over him before Kara had to start worrying about him scratching anything and the two girls chatted about everything and nothing in particular until they were called downstairs for dinner. After that, they helped wash the dishes before returning to Eve's room for a small marathon session of their favourite Disney movies that was complemented by enough sweets to give a regular human diabetes.

Eliza and Alex had been right; sleepovers were fun.

Of course, Kara would later come to the (somewhat paranoid) conclusion that everything had been a dastardly plot by Eve to get her to loosen up enough that she would forget herself and say something she was supposed to keep secret.

They had been discussing the kind of shows that were being aired on television at the moment when Eve happened to mention that a documentary about the ancient Mayan civilisation would be airing soon.

“Oh, remind me to watch that,” Kara said without thinking. “Mon-El loves-”

Then she realised what – or more specifically, whose name – she had just said and clapped her hands over her mouth in horror.

“Who's 'Mon-El'?” Eve asked curiously as she turned over to look at Kara who for all intents and purposes was doing her best impression of a rabbit about to be run over by an eighteen-wheeler.

“Um... uh...” _Grife, grife, grife, grife, grife. Think, Kara, think! Come up with something RIGHT NOW._ “He's a... uh... friend! An online friend!”

“That's a very odd name,” Eve noted idly.

“Th-That's because... because... it's not his name! It's his... uh, username! You know, 'monel'? The metal? Why, you ask? ...W-Well, I don't know either. I'll be sure to ask the next time we talk. I mean chat. Online.”

By this point, Kara was sure that she was actually on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. She had never prepared a cover story for her connection to Mon-El simply because she had never felt like she'd need one based on the fact that she had never intended on telling anyone about him. Yet she was being forced to create one – a very shoddy one at that – on the spot right this second and it was all because she'd slipped up.

“Does that mean you know his real name? I mean, do you trust him? I don't want to spook you, Kara, but a lot of people online aren't really who they say they are.”

Great, now she'd made Eve worry. Kara felt incredibly guilty but she was stuck; there didn't seem to be any real way to reassure her friend that there was nothing to worry about without revealing the real method through which she was communicating with Mon-El and how she knew him. _It definitely counts as a long-distance thing though_ , a voice at the back of her head commented wryly. _Not very helpful right now_ , she shot back mentally. “I trust him, Eve,” she tried to assuage the girl's worries. “I've known him for... well, a long time.”

“So you _do_ know his real name,” Eve pressed; it was amazing how the girl could fail to pick up on all the lies Kara had told so far but still manage to zero in on this somehow. (Was it ironic that she had already revealed Mon-El's real name and was now being forced to come up with a fake real name for him? Kara had no idea.) “What is it, if you don't mind me asking?”

 _JUST SAY SOME RANDOM NAME, KARA._ “...Mike!” she blurted out, her wildly searching gaze having landed on a stray flyer for an open mike night at a local coffee shop that Eve had stuck to her wall for whatever reason. The girl could be so incredibly random at times.

“Oh, that's a nice name. Do you know what he looks like? Has he ever sent you a picture of himself?”

 _I know what he looks like but I certainly can't explain how I know without having a single picture of him to show you._ “He's... uh, camera-shy.”

“How old is he?”

 _Chronologically or physically?_ “Uh, older. Than me, I mean. By... a few years.”

“What does he do?”

 _Float around in some timeless pocket of space._ “...Travel.”

Thankfully, that was the point where Ian poked his head into the room and subsequently interrupted their conversation. “All right, girls, it's late. Time to go to sleep. You can continue talking tomorrow.”

“Yes, Dad.” “Yes, Mr Teschmacher.”

“Well, you sound like you trust this 'Mike' and I know you're super-smart so I trust you know what you're doing,” Eve said as she switched off her bedside lamp. “But don't think for a second that I'm not going to ask more questions tomorrow because I'm _beyond_ curious as to why you've never mentioned this friend of yours before. Anyway, goodnight, Kara. Sweet dreams.”

“Goodnight. Sweet dreams,” Kara replied robotically as she stared unseeingly at the ceiling, her face frozen in a look of perpetual panic.

 

* * *

 

“I need to stop being friends with Eve,” she blurted out the moment she found herself in the dream world.

Mon-El looked up from the game of Snalad he seemed to be playing against himself to stare at her in befuddlement. “What? Why? Where is this coming from all of a sudden?”

“She's possibly the most devious person I've ever encountered,” she continued rambling. “I think she could get anyone to spill their deepest darkest secrets if she just spent enough time with them. Who knows, maybe if Kal-El put her in a room with that Lex guy he keeps fighting with, she could just make him reveal every single nefarious plot he ever dreamed up without lifting a finger.”

“Okay, okay, calm down, Kara. You're not making sense.” By then, he had walked over and placed his hands gently but firmly on her shoulders. “Kara, look me in the eye and tell me very slowly why you're behaving like this.”

“She knows about you.” Despite his instructions, the words left her lips in a rush and even clasping his hand and initiating their mental connection was not enough to calm her frazzled nerves.

His brow creased further in confusion. “What? How?”

“It just came out, okay?!” She was yelling for some reason – and rather defensively, even – despite the fact that it was her own fault, not his, and he was just trying to figure out why she was so panicked. “We were talking about... something I don't really remember right now and then I thought about you and somehow managed to completely forget that you're supposed to be a secret and before I knew it I'd said your name and she heard it and started asking questions-”

The blue-grey energy in her head seemed to be doing its best to soothe her mind but she was finding it a little difficult to let it do just that. “Okay, Kara, you need to breathe. You're talking so quickly I'm actually having trouble keeping up with you. Now calm down. This isn't the end of the world.”

“But-”

“ _Breathe._ ”

She did as she was told, and for a while there was only the sound of her drawing in one lungful of air after another as she let his thoughts coil soothingly around hers and most of the tension bled out of her frame.

“Okay, now that you've calmed down a little and I've managed to mostly decipher the jumble of words you blurted out earlier, I'd like to ask you just one question: Why are you so anxious about this?”

She stared at him in utter bewilderment. “'Why'? How could you ask me that? You know very well why! If the DEO happens to find out, they could come after Eve! Me! If they found a way to exploit our connection, even _you_ will be in danger! And I can't allow that, Mon-El!”

“But didn't that Henshaw man promise they wouldn't spy on you any more?” he tried to point out.

She just levelled a flat look at him.

“Right. Untrustworthy humans,” he muttered under his breath. “Well, what's done is done and unless you find a way to erase her memory or something, all you _can_ do is damage control.”

“Which means...?”

“Well...” He pulled his free hand away to scratch his jaw thoughtfully. “I suppose we're just going to have to come up with a fake human identity for me that you can tell her about. And find a way to get Eve to promise not to mention me to anyone else while we're at it.”

“Easier said than done,” she mumbled. This was all her fault. Why oh why hadn't she been more careful? She'd managed to keep Mon-El and her connection to him a secret for _years_ from people who already knew her true identity. Why did she have to slip up now and around someone who didn't even know that part of her life? This really didn't bode well for her when it was her turn to leave Midvale to further her studies...

“Before we do that though, can you answer another question for me?”

Mon-El's unexpected question drew Kara out of her latest bout of self-recrimination and she looked up to find him... grinning? Wait, what? “...What is it?” she asked warily, almost certain she wasn't going to like whatever was coming next.

“Exactly what have you told her about me?” he asked almost gleefully as the blue-grey energy in her head gained a mischievous tinge to it.

“W-What's it to you?” she demanded to know as a weird twisting feeling in her stomach started to manifest.

“You can't blame me for being a little curious about what you might say about me to other people, after all,” he pointed out with faux innocence. “I get that you have your reasons for not telling anyone about me and our connection but now that you _have_ even if unintentionally, I _have_ to know.”

“I don't have to tell you,” she fired back defensively. She didn't even know why she was being like this. It made sense that he would be curious, after all, and she did in fact need to tell him so that they could work together to create a human identity for him that built on what she had already told Eve.

“Did you at least tell her I was handsome?”

That twisting feeling got stronger for some reason. “I said you were utterly hideous,” she lied.

Her response earned her an exaggerated pout. “I'm hurt,” he complained as he pressed a hand to his heart but it was clear judging by the state of the blue-grey energy in her head that he was just messing with her. “I'll have you know that my dashing good looks have charmed thousands- no, _millions_ across the universe.” He leaned in a little and gave her his patented puppy dog eyes just as she was about to say something particularly scathing and her retort died on her lips as her thoughts scattered into the ether. “Are you sure I can't convince you to revise the assessment you gave Eve?”

 _DANGER, DANGER_ , a voice at the back of her head screeched, and she blindly obeyed by shoving him away even though she had no idea what had prompted that mental alarm in the first place. “Will you please focus? This is serious, Mon-El!” she scolded him although the anger in her outburst was undermined by the blush tainting her cheeks.

“Fine, fine,” he heaved an exaggerated sigh, apparently oblivious to her embarrassment. “We'll stick to whatever 'facts' you've already come up with and start creating a believable lie about my identity that you can tell her. So where do we start?”

Relieved that he had dropped his teasing – for now, at least –, she turned her thoughts back to the real situation at hand even as she sought to stop herself from blushing. “Well... Before we go any further, I need to ask you something pretty important.”

“What is it?”

“...How do you feel about the name 'Mike'?”

 

* * *

 

Everything went well, all things considered. Eve thankfully didn't ask too many prying questions especially after Kara revealed that 'Mike' was someone she knew from before the Danvers had adopted her – which was true – and he had a unique understanding of her loss – also true – so there was a lot less to worry about than Kara had originally feared. It was also a relief when Eve agreed not to talk to anyone else about him without asking for a reason of any kind and not for the first time Kara found herself grateful to have Eve as a friend.

With that settled, Kara went back to worrying about subjectively simpler things such as her continued but sluggish efforts to rescue Mon-El and, much to her immense dread, driving lessons which had come hand in hand with her turning sixteen according to Earth's calendar. It had taken reassurances from Bruce that he would help develop a special kind of shock absorber which would help prevent her from stomping a hole in the car when she stepped on the pedals for her to even agree to learn how to drive.

(“It's perfectly safe, Kara.” “Based on what I've seen of Alex's driving, I'm not too sure about that.” “Hey! Take that back or I'm never driving you anywhere ever again!” “...But you're moving out so you're definitely not going to drive me anywhere from now on.” “That is _not_ the point!”)

In short, she allowed herself to think that life would be relatively peaceful and problem-free like this for at least a year or so and there were no big surprises lying in wait for her in the near future.

She really should have known better.

“I'm thinking of just skipping the damn thing,” Alex answered bluntly when Kara asked her if she was planning to find a partner for her prom night as they walked home together from school one day.

“Really?” Kara asked dubiously. “Isn't this prom thing a big deal for... well, humans your age? Won't you feel like you're missing out?”

Alex let out an unladylike snort. “Miss out on what exactly? Cheesy music? Getting my toes trampled? Someone spiking the punch bowl? Hard pass on all those.”

Memories of dancing with Mon-El rose to the forefront of her mind and Kara supposed she was glad that she was walking a little behind Alex so the girl couldn't see her smile and start asking questions. “Maybe you'll find someone who'll make it worthwhile.”

Another snort escaped Alex. “And maybe I'll win the lottery tomorrow. Come on, Kara. You know I'm not the type to enjoy these things. I mean, can you even imagine me in a dress? And looking good in it?”

“Yes, actually,” Kara replied firmly. “Just give it a shot, Alex. Prom is a one-time thing, isn't it? Aren't you worried you'll look back and regret not going years later? And if your concern is not being able to find a partner, Eve told me that she overheard Peter from your Chemistry class saying that he was going to ask you to be his prom date.”

“Well, tell Eve to mind her own business,” Alex shot back without much venom as the Danvers residence finally came into view. “Even if I do decide to go in the end – and that's a very big 'if' –, I'll probably go stag. The very idea of going with that arrogant jerk-”

The rest of Alex's likely long list of insults directed at her potential suitor mysteriously died the moment she stepped into the house and it was only when Kara herself finally squeezed past her immobile adoptive sister that she saw what had prompted the strange behaviour.

“Oh,” was all she managed to utter in her initial surprise. “Hi, Clark. What brings you by?”

Kal-El who was standing next to Eliza gave what Kara had dubbed his Superman smile. “Just here to offer Eliza some help with something.”

“And I've said this already, Clark,” Eliza said with a hint of somewhat fond exasperation in her voice, “I can handle this myself. You don't have to be here.”

“What's going on, Mom?” Alex asked suspiciously as she eyed the only male in the room. She had never fully gotten over her anger over what she still deemed to be Kal-El's role in Jeremiah's ultimate fate despite the amount of time that had passed and Eliza's patient pleas for understanding.

Seemingly realising that Kal-El was not about to leave and she was just going to have to soldier on, Eliza sighed and gestured for the two girls to sit down. “It's nothing to worry about, I assure you. It's just that...” She eyed them both carefully as they made themselves comfortable. “Well, Kara, you're sixteen and it's high time we had this conversation. As for you, Alex, I know we've already gone through this but you're eighteen; soon you'll be living alone wherever it is you end up furthering your studies and it wouldn't hurt to go over this again-”

“Oh _HELL NO_!” Having apparently figured out exactly what was going on, Alex leapt to her feet and jabbed an accusatory finger in Kal-El's direction. “I'm not going through this again and certainly not with _him_ around!”

“Alex! Wait!” Eliza called out but to no avail as everyone present watched Alex bolt back out the front door.

Even though she had no idea what was going on, Kara got the distinct impression that she had just been abandoned to suffer an incredibly terrible fate by herself.

“Well,” Kal-El coughed awkwardly. “Do you want me to go after her and bring her back, Eliza?”

“No, it's all right,” Eliza sighed wearily. “I'll just speak to her alone later.” With that, she turned to Kara who suddenly felt like she should have followed Alex's lead and run for her life as well for some unfathomable reason. “Kara, I won't claim to understand how this would have been done on your home planet but now that you're sixteen, there's something we have to talk about...”

The inexplicable urge to flee as well as Alex's strange reaction earlier became clear with the next words that came out of Eliza's mouth, and the next thirty minutes or so proved to be the most mortifying moment in Kara's life thus far.

 

* * *

 

Mon-El had an immensely complicated mystery to solve, and that mystery was one Kara Zor-El.

Specifically, it was the changes to her behaviour which had started sometime around her sixteenth birthday that mystified him.

No, that was wrong. Well, not quite wrong but not quite right either. If he was going to be fair and objective about it, there had been subtle changes in her behaviour before that and he was only able to really notice them now in hindsight because he had been searching through his past memories for them. It was just that those changes had become more pronounced since the time she turned sixteen.

A part of him pointed out that this was to be expected. After all, she was growing up and had been slowly but surely adapting to a culture that was completely foreign to her. Change was inevitable and it would have been unrealistic if she had remained the same person she had been when they first met or even after that when she had first arrived on Earth.

Even so, he had to admit that he was finding it a bit hard to keep up with how much she was changing. Sure, in many ways she was still very much the Kryptonian girl he had met several eternities ago especially when it came to her stubborn pride. The fact that she still thought she could argue her way out of what was clearly a foul when they played Garata even though both of them knew the rules inside and out said it all. (There was also her continued stubborn refusal to acknowledge that her cousin was a colossal idiot out of what he believed to be a highly misplaced sense of loyalty to her family but that was another issue all on its own.) But as for the ways she _had_ changed... well.

She liked intertwining their hands a lot, for one. In fact, she did it every single time she visited. To be fair, she had always been rather fond of initiating some kind of physical contact with him ever since her arrival on Earth. Having heard her bemoan early on how her super-strength made even the most casual of touches an exercise in self-control and how her invulnerability meant she couldn't feel other people's touches, he could see why she took full advantage of being able to freely hug him or hold his hand without worrying about crushing his bones to dust. Perhaps she found intertwining their hands to be the most convenient option? It certainly freed up her other hand to hit or pinch him with impunity in any case so he wasn't sure if he was a fan of that.

Then there was the way she reacted when he teased her... and boy did he _love_ teasing her. Again, that was kind of normal; he'd developed a fondness for teasing her early on in their acquaintanceship simply because of the way she reacted to it. Was it really his fault if her reactions were always either hilarious, adorable or both? But lately it seemed as if her reactions were a lot more... pronounced. Like it got to her a lot more than before. Or was it just because he had just been more persistent about teasing her in order to keep her mind off things that worried or upset her? (Which now included him, unfortunately, but that just meant that he had to try twice as hard to keep her happy or distracted.) He couldn't tell so that was yet another dead end.

Being able to almost literally see her thoughts was both incredibly helpful and yet not in his quest to understand what was up with her. There was no way either of them could actually hide or disguise their feelings when they established their mental connection so he had an ironclad assurance that whatever he saw was her true state of mind. The golden light that filled his head reacted exactly the way she did as before whether she was happy, sad, angry or even embarrassed... but for some reason, he couldn't quite shake the feeling like there was something he was failing to see.

There were other smaller things too, when he thought about it even more. How she seemed to get annoyed – more so than before, anyway – whenever he happened to mention an old lover. The way she just lit up whenever she received a compliment from him as if no one had ever told her anything nice before in her entire life. Her increased tendency to blush and stutter at the oddest times even when he wasn't doing anything more than tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.

It was all very confusing. He felt like he had all these pieces to a puzzle but a lot of them were still missing and the instructions were written in some unknown language.

Mon-El was summarily drawn out of his musings when he felt he was no longer alone in the dream world and looked up to find none other than the very person he had been thinking about standing before him. For a brief moment he contemplated just asking her why she had been behaving so strangely lately but decided against it; he got the feeling that being so direct about the matter would just make her uncomfortable and that was the last thing he wanted. He would just have to continue quietly monitoring her behaviour for now.

Having come to that decision, he shot her a warm smile. “He-”

Kara took one look at him, turned a bright shade of red and disappeared from sight when what looked like a large military-grade bunker suddenly formed around her.

“-ey...?” he trailed off in confusion as his smile faded away. What in Rao's name...?

There was no answer. He supposed that was to be expected considering what he was looking at right now.

...Was that bunker made of _Nth metal_?

“Seriously?” he asked out loud incredulously. What exactly had happened out there in the real world that would warrant this kind of reaction?

Standing around wasn't going to get him any answers, however, so he carefully walked up to the bunker wall closest to him – he got the sense that there were no doors on the other sides anyway since that would defeat the purpose – and knocked on the wall. “Um... Kara?”

“Leave me alone!” came the anguished cry from inside.

...He was having flashbacks to a thick blanket and a disastrous first attempt at speaking Daxamite. What was the Earth phrase again? Danger wool? No, that didn't sound right... and that wasn't important anyway. What was important was... well, figuring out whatever this situation was and fixing it. “You know I can't do that,” he replied calmly, almost certain they'd had this exact conversation before. “For more than one reason, in fact. Kara, can you please just... make me a door here so I can come in and you can tell me what's wrong? Please?”

For a long while, there was only silence and he began to worry that he was going to have to resort to drastic measures to get inside when part of the bunker wall suddenly faded away to form a doorway. He breathed a sigh of relief and stepped through-

-only to find himself at the side of her room on Krypton that was furthest away from the bed where she was sitting with her knees drawn up to hide her face as much as possible.

She was still blushing so much her face was practically glowing.

“S-Stop right there!” she ordered him, and he was so stunned by the command that he immediately obeyed even though that meant he was frozen with one foot inside the bunker-room and the other foot still on the grass right outside. “D-Don't come any closer!”

“Uhhh... okay...” He tried searching her face for clues but she kept alternating between staring at him and pulling her blanket up to hide her face. “Mind telling me what's going on here? Did something happen?”

“No. Everything's fine. Nothing happened.”

One of his eyebrows arched. “You may be hiding your face but I know for a fact that you're crinkling right now because that was one of the worst attempts at a lie I've ever heard. Come on, Kara. You know you can tell me anything.”

Instead of reassuring her, his words just seemed to make her shrink further into herself and pull the blanket over her entire head. “No. Not this. _Definitely_ not this,” came the muffled response.

Okay, now he was _really_ getting worried. “Kara, whatever it is, I promise you it'll be fine. We've been through a lot together so I'm sure that whatever this is, we'll get through it too. So come on. Talk to me.”

She mumbled something unintelligible.

“Sorry, come again?” Could he take at least one step closer? Or would that be a bad idea? If she was going to keep mumbling like that-

The blanket suddenly got yanked away and she stared at him almost defiantly although the effect was somewhat ruined by her luminescent blush. “ _I said_ -” she started and then faltered almost immediately as she dropped her gaze back down. “Eliza... taught me today. About... A-About... _that_.”

“...And 'that' is...?” he prodded her.

She flushed an even darker shade of red. “...S-Sex.”

“Oh.” Well. At least that settled his long-standing concern about how he was going to talk to her about mating. He made a mental note to offer a prayer of thanks to Eliza later. But for now, he had to figure out what to say... and if he was being honest with himself, he had no idea what was the right thing to say. “...Congratulations?” he tried hesitantly.

Apparently that was the worst possible thing he could have said because a barrage of projectiles came flying at his head and he was forced to duck really low in order to avoid all of them.

“ _I DON'T WANT YOU TO CONGRATULATE ME!_ ” she bellowed.

“Well, what do you want me to say then?!” he asked helplessly.

“ _ANYTHING BUT THAT!_ ”

“Okay, okay! Just... let me think, all right?!”

Even as he said that, however, Mon-El found himself at a complete loss. What exactly was the right approach to this matter? Kara's situation was so incredibly unique that he had no point of reference with which he could work. Here was a girl who had been born on an extremely reserved planet but had been spending the past few years living on a planet which was apparently notably less reserved than hers considering the evidence he had been given thus far. The age at which the Kenny boy had tried to kiss Kara was one thing but there was also the frequency at which Eve seemed to talk about boys. Humans clearly developed a rather intense interest in mating at a relatively young age.

...In hindsight, maybe the crown prince of a planet that had very... _open_ views about mating was not the best person to talk to said girl.

He mentally smacked himself. No, he had to figure something out. There was no room for excuses and despite the fact that he was probably the least suitable person to be talking to her about this, he was also apparently the only one who could actually do it.

...Maybe he could try thinking about it like a Kryptonian?

 _-So snootily declare that you have absolutely no interest in sex whatsoever?-_ , a voice at the back of his head snarked.

 _Some help you are_ , he shot back as he banished the voice and focused his attention back on the matter at hand. Okay, so... think like a Kryptonian. Which meant... approach the issue in a cold, logical and analytical manner? Wait, was he being insulting? But then again, the Kryptonians he'd met a lifetime ago _had_ behaved like robots...

_Focus, idiot. Kara needs you right now._

“Okay. So. Uh. You said Eliza taught you.” There. That was a safe enough place to begin, right?

She nodded silently.

“Right. Okay. Um... So. You... know how everything works, right?”

Another nod... although he was pretty sure she'd turned an even darker shade of red. In fact, she looked like she was on the verge of turning purple.

“Good, good. That's... good.” He perked up as he realised there was something positive he could say right now. “Hey, you know what? I'm actually quite proud of you. I would have expected you to be more freaked out the first time you saw people having sex.”

She stared. “What?”

“...What?” he asked confusedly.

“I didn't _see_ \- Exactly what do you think I was taught?!”

“...How to have sex?”

Another round of projectiles came flying at his head. “THAT'S _NOT_ WHAT I LEARNT! AND THAT'S CERTAINLY _NOT_ HOW I LEARNT!”

“Well, how else are you supposed to learn?” He certainly hadn't been expecting humans to have used the approach his people had but really, this seemed to be more proof that they were immensely primitive if they couldn't even get this right.

“ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT I... THAT I _WATCH PORN_?!”

The unfamiliar human word confused him. “What's 'porn'?”

For some unfathomable reason, that prompted another round of projectiles aimed at his head. “DON'T ASK!”

“But you're the one who brought it up in the first place!” he protested.

“W-Well, just... drop it!”

Okay, this approach didn't really seem to be working... but what else could he do? “This would have been so much easier if we were on Daxam...” he muttered under his breath as he dragged a hand down his face.

“Why?” Her tone was sharp but he could still hear an undercurrent of curiosity in it and her blush seemed to be fading.

He froze and evaluated his situation. “...Will you promise not to try and decapitate me if I tell you?”

She eyed him warily for a long while before she answered. “...Okay.”

“All Daxamites were trained so that they would be more than comfortable with physical intimacy by the time they finished their rite of passage and were recognised as adults,” he explained carefully.

Kara stared blankly at him. “Trained,” she repeated hollowly.

Breathing a sigh of relief over the fact that his head was still attached to his body, Mon-El nodded slowly. “Yes. Training usually starts about half a year - balanced out with other lessons such as art and general knowledge, of course - before the rite of passage but my training stretched on for a whole year.”

Her eyes widened even further. “...A whole year.”

He shrugged. “Couldn't have the crown prince of Daxam turn out to be an inadequate lover. I would've been considered a disgrace to the royal family of the highest order.”

“A whole year.” The look on her face was unreadable and her voice was flat. It seemed as if her brain had stalled upon receiving that bit of information.

...He was starting to get the impression that this had not been the right way to approach the matter either after all. Okay, he needed to change tactics.

It was in the process of trying to figure out another approach that he realised something that should have occurred to him sooner. “Wait... what about your powers?”

Suddenly her blush returned in full force. “W-What about my powers?”

“...Well... sex means touching... and you have super-strength _and_ invulnerability... so...”

Her blush darkened again. This was a day full of blushing, it seemed. “They... apply,” she finally responded with great difficulty.

“Ah.” He took a moment to process that bit of information. “So that means... broken noses, broken bones, broken-”

An exceptionally large projectile whistled past his ear. “ _DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE!_ ”

“Right. Duly noted.” He gave her a moment to hopefully cool down a little before deciding it was safe to speak again. “You know, if you really want to overcome that hurdle, I can give you a few tips-”

This time, one of her projectiles managed to graze his head. “ _I DON'T WANT ANY TIPS!_ ”

“Got it,” he mumbled, actually a little unsettled at how extreme she was getting.

Silence reigned as he tried to once again figure out how to solve his current dilemma before a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

Kara didn't need him to think like a Kryptonian, share Daxamite customs or anything like that.

She needed him – Mon-El, her best friend who truly understood her.

“Okay, look,” he tried again, praying that he was going to get it right this time. “You don't have to think or talk about this stuff at all until and unless you actually want to. I know it makes you uncomfortable so while it certainly seems like you at least need to know what to expect in future human interactions of this kind, you don't _have_ to actively think about it. Just... go at your own pace. Okay?”

“...Okay,” she replied softly, and he took it as a good sign that her blush was starting to fade again.

“Okay,” he echoed with a sigh of relief. That had been settled surprisingly easily in retrospect. He really should have thought this through a lot more before attempting it in the first place; that would've saved her a lot of embarrassment... and kept him out of physical danger in the process.

Even so... he felt like it was his duty as a best friend and someone with a great deal of experience in the matter to make it clear that she could rely on him to help in the future when she finally developed an interest in mating.

“But really,” he started as casually as he could manage, “if you ever want any tips-”

He was promptly chased out of the bunker-room by an endless barrage of projectiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that wasn't too messy and there was enough humour to satisfy all of you. I feel kind of bad for tormenting Kara so much for the purpose of laughing at her misery though... does that make me evil? >_>;;


	14. Exposed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets, Kara discovers, have a way of coming out eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, my sincere apologies if my failure to update on time made you think that I had abandoned this fic. Last week was... not a good week for me. As you all know, the finale happened and there are not enough words in the dictionary to describe how pissed off I am about it. Then the universe decided I wasn't miserable enough and decided to kick me while I was down over the weekend so I took a few days off to deal with that and get myself back into a good head-space. In any case, here I am telling you that as much as the writers have let us down, you will have to pry this ship and this fic from my cold dead hands. And even then I'll claw my way back from the afterlife to finish it because when you learn that you love a bunch of characters more than the people who are paid to handle them, YOU WRITE THE BEST FANFIC YOU POSSIBLY CAN.
> 
> About the chapter itself, I just want to warn you that certain less-than-pleasant topics are somewhat explored but I don't really want to spoil it so... um, yeah. Just prepare yourself?

Everyone had secrets.

Big or small, crucial or inconsequential... Everyone had them, and they had their own reasons for keeping those secrets... well, secret.

Kara knew this better than most. At least, that was what she felt since she had a ton of secrets of her own. She had small, inconsequential secrets like her favourite spot out in the woods where she liked to go when she wanted some real peace and quiet away from everyone and everything. Then she had big, crucial secrets that, should they ever be learnt by the wrong individuals, had the potential to put a great many people she cared about in danger which revolved primarily around her true identity.

Her biggest secret, however, was undoubtedly Mon-El.

All her other secrets were known by at least someone to some degree. While the specific location of her favourite spot was something she had kept to herself, Eliza knew that she had such a spot simply because Kara felt it was prudent to inform the woman where she was going in general so there would be no need to worry. As for her true identity, it was known by at least the Danvers, Kal-El and, as much as she hated it, the DEO.

Mon-El, however... Mon-El was her secret and hers alone.

At least, that had been the case until she'd gotten careless and mentioned him around someone who didn't even know her second biggest secret.

It was a true blessing – one that she thanked Rao for profusely – that despite being someone who almost always said whatever was on her mind no matter how ridiculous it was, Eve was an excellent secret keeper who also kept her promise not to talk about 'Mike' to anyone else or ask any prying questions.

(Another blessing she was grateful for was that no scary-looking government agents showed up out of nowhere after every conversation about 'Mike' to cart Eve and her away. Either that Henshaw man had been telling the truth or he didn't think gossiping about a possibly imaginary friend was worth investigating.)

That did not mean that the girl didn't ask any questions at all, however, and Kara didn't really know how to feel about that.

She supposed she couldn't really blame Eve for being curious considering how secretive she was about him and her connection to him. After all, from Eve's perspective, they had been friends for over a year and the only reason she knew about 'Mike' now was because Kara had mentioned him by accident. In fact, a part of Kara was actually a little surprised and immensely relieved that Eve had taken it so well and not gotten upset that Kara had kept something this big from her despite them being such close friends. The girl had simply accepted that Kara had her own personal reasons for keeping her connection to 'Mike' to herself instead of feeling hurt or angry about it.

On the other hand... Mon-El was _her_ secret. There was this small part of her that liked the fact that she had been the only person who knew about him before this – barring any other potential survivors of Daxam, of course – and had wanted to keep it that way at least until she managed to rescue him. She couldn't really make sense of why she felt so... possessive?... about even the knowledge of his existence.

Whatever the case, there was no changing the fact that there was someone else besides her who knew about him now even if it was in the form of a fake human identity that was comprised of half-truths and blatant lies.

She made a mental note to send a prayer of thanks to Rao next time for the small blessing that was Eve never noticing her crinkle every time she fed the girl another made-up detail about 'Mike'.

However, after the initial round of questions about general things such as where 'Mike' lived, Eve's line of questioning went in a rather unexpected yet expected direction: She began asking about his character. Kara supposed the questions were meant to help Eve assure herself that 'Mike' was not in fact a serial killer waiting for the right time to find and murder Kara in the grisliest manner imaginable. Even so, it felt like she was missing something.

Especially when Eve looked at her like she was some fascinating lab experiment when she asked those questions.

“So you chat with him every night?” Eve asked over lunch, her features scrunched up in that inquisitive look she always wore when she asked about 'Mike'.

“Um, yes,” Kara replied cautiously, unsure where Eve was going to go with this. It was always impossible to tell and that never failed to put her on edge despite the fact that there was nothing to be afraid of.

As far as she knew, anyway.

“ _Every_ night?” Eve pressed. “Without fail?”

“...Yes...”

“You really like talking to him, huh?”

Kara shrugged. “He's my best friend, after all. My first best friend, I mean,” she added quickly, hoping that she hadn't indirectly offended Eve in the process.

Thankfully, Eve seemed unconcerned about it and kept her laser-like focus on Kara. “You know, we should totally chat. Mike and I, that is.”

The mouthful of macaroni and cheese she had just swallowed a microsecond ago threatened to come back out as Kara found herself choking in surprise. “What? Why?” she managed to wheeze after she had gotten her coughing under control.

Eve, who had reached over in mild panic to rub Kara's back during her coughing fit, pulled her hand back once she was sure Kara was all right and regained that inquisitive look on her face. “He seems like an interesting guy and I think we could totally get along. I mean, we both have you as a best friend. That's a good sign we could be friends too.”

“Yes... well... I suppose that makes sense...” Kara hedged, unsure how she was going to get out of this. How was she supposed to explain that it wasn't actually possible for Eve to communicate with 'Mike' at all?

Besides... even if it _was_ possible, there was a part of her that didn't want to do it. She didn't know why.

Eve leaned in a little closer. “So?”

“Um... uh...” Kara shovelled a large spoonful of macaroni and cheese into her mouth in an effort to buy herself more time to think of a plausible excuse. As she was chewing, there was the sound of a loud crash and both of them turned to find that someone had slipped and fallen on a wet patch of the canteen floor, sending their tray of food sailing through the air.

A tray of food which landed on someone else's head.

Kara had never been more grateful for a food fight in her entire schooling life.

Even better, Eve seemed to have forgotten about their conversation in its entirety as a result and the rest of the day was free of 'Mike'-related interrogations. By the time they were walking back to the Teschmacher residence after school – it had become routine after Alex had moved out –, the two girls were caught up in a spirited discussion about the latest developments in their favourite television shows. Throughout the entire time, Eve was her usual chirpy, carefree self.

That all changed when the girl checked her home's mailbox and pulled out a nondescript lilac envelope.

“...Eve? Is everything okay?” Kara asked cautiously as she watched the smile disappear and the colour drain from Eve's face.

At the sound of her name, Eve started and offered Kara a feeble smile. “Oh. Yes. Yes, everything's fine. There's nothing to be worried about.”

But there was something in Eve's eyes which Kara had never seen in them before:

Fear.

It was in that moment that Kara realised that just like everyone else, Eve had secrets of her own too.

 

* * *

 

She was in the midst of recounting who had managed a successful hit on whom in the food fight when Mon-El interrupted her.

“Not that I don't appreciate the highly entertaining story about humans being primitive and wasting food by throwing it at each other,” he started carefully, “but I have to ask: What's _really_ on your mind?”

The rest of her retelling of the food fight faded away as the memory of Eve's terrified face crystallised in her mind. “I... It's nothing,” she mumbled as she turned away from him and cast her gaze downwards.

A soft touch just under her chin nearly made her jump out of her skin and there was a funny jittery feeling growing in her stomach as she let him tilt her head back up and towards him again with just one finger. “Kara,” he said gently, “I won't push if you really don't want to talk about it but whatever it is, it's clearly not 'nothing'.”

“I-I... um...” she stuttered, suddenly finding it difficult do anything but focus on him, much less string together a coherent sentence.

He pulled his hand away and she was filled with an inexplicable mixture of relief and disappointment. That seemed to be a common feeling lately where he was concerned. “Okay, I won't pry,” he replied, apparently having misread her reaction even though she herself had no idea why she had reacted the way she did.

“N-No, it's not... um.” She shook her head and looked down at their intertwined hands. It seemed safer than looking at him directly. (Barely, it seemed, since the jittery feeling was still there albeit a little fainter.) “I could just be overthinking things.”

“You? Overthinking things?” he gasped in mock surprise. “Impossible.”

“Oh shut up,” she muttered as she bumped his shoulder with hers, the flash of annoyance his words had sparked in her overriding that funny feeling from earlier. “If you must know, something... well, I don't even know how to describe it... happened today and I'm not sure what to think.”

The blue-grey energy swirling in her head seemed to still for a moment before cautiously coiling around her thoughts. “It must be something noteworthy for it to bother you like this,” he commented but said no more, making it clear once again that it was up to her if she wanted to share or not.

That was really all she needed to make her decision. “Do you remember how I told you that it felt like Eve had secrets when I first started befriending her?”

“Of course.”

“Well... I can't be sure but... I think one of those secrets came back into her life today.”

“What do you mean?”

“We walked back to her house today like usual and when she checked her mailbox, there was this lilac envelope inside. The moment she saw it... Mon-El, it was like she'd seen death itself. She was _so scared_. When I asked her about it, she just said that everything was fine but then 'suddenly' remembered that she was supposed to help her father with something so we couldn't hang out like usual. Then she disappeared into her house and by the time I went to sleep tonight, she still hadn't responded to any of my text messages.”

“That _does_ sound unusual. And I don't think you're overthinking it.”

Kara breathed a sigh of relief as she closed her eyes and leaned against him. “Thank you for saying that.”

He squeezed her hand reassuringly as the blue-grey energy in her head radiated calm and warmth. “No need to thank me. So what do you plan to do?”

The question prompted her to reopen her eyes and look up at him. “Is there anything I _can_ do?” she asked curiously. “I mean, she doesn't seem to want to tell me anything.”

“You could try asking her again,” he suggested. “It's not like you're doing it just to be nosy, after all; you're genuinely worried about her and I think she should at least appreciate the gesture even if she chooses not to share whatever is bothering her with you.”

“I suppose...” she trailed off uncertainly before gathering her resolve. “No, you're absolutely right. I'll do that tomorrow. I want her to know that I'm there for her no matter what at the very least.”

“All right.” He brought his other arm around to hug her and she returned it without hesitation. “Everything's going to be fine, Kara.”

She clung to his words and did her best to believe them with all her heart even as her doubts and concerns ate away at her.

 

* * *

 

Eve did little to ease those doubts and concerns when she gently rebuffed any questions about the envelope the next day by assuring Kara that it was nothing but followed that up by saying that they could not walk home together or hang out after school like usual.

“What? Why?” Kara asked as alarm bells began warming up in her head.

The little shrug and smile Eve gave would have been more convincing if they weren't so stiff and unnatural. “Dad needs me to help him with something at home so he'll be picking me up after school for a while. I'm sorry.”

“You don't have to apologise,” Kara responded with a shake of her head. “I just...” She eyed her friend carefully. “You know you can tell me anything, right? We're best friends, after all.” It felt a little like the height of hypocrisy to say that considering she was keeping her true identity from Eve but at least her secret wasn't actively terrifying the living daylights out of the both of them.

Eve's smile became just a little more genuine at that. “I know,” she replied as she reached over and squeezed Kara's hand. “I appreciate it, Kara, I really do, but there's nothing you need to worry about.”

“If you say so,” Kara muttered, unconvinced, but decided to let the matter drop for now since talking about it was clearly accomplishing nothing but making Eve uncomfortable.

That stance lasted for approximately one week.

Then a lilac envelope showed up in Eve's locker and if Kara thought her friend had looked scared before, the expression currently etched on the girl's face put that one to shame.

“Eve?” She carefully reached out to touch the girl on the arm even as she resisted the urge to yank the envelope away and turn it into ashes with her heat vision. It didn't matter that they were standing in the middle of a crowded school hallway and taking such a drastic action would at the very least expose her true identity for good; that damn thing, whatever it was, was upsetting her friend and she wanted it destroyed post-haste.

Evidently she had not been careful enough because the moment her fingers made contact with Eve's arm, the girl jumped a foot in the air and let out a sharp scream as she whipped her head up to stare unseeingly at Kara.

Kara immediately yanked her hand away, only vaguely aware that Eve's scream had attracted a significant amount of unwanted attention from everyone within earshot. “Eve, it's just me,” she whispered soothingly as she held both her hands up to show that she meant no harm. “You're at school with me, your friend Kara. You're safe.” She spared a moment to glare at everyone who continued to stare at them until they turned away and went back to minding their own business.

The words felt like a lie even though she didn't know the full picture and judging by the fact that Eve did not look even the slightest bit better, she had utterly failed to even sound convincing as well. “I... sorry, Kara,” Eve apologised as she visibly struggled to regain her composure. “I just... you surprised me. I'm okay.”

“No,” Kara found herself saying firmly, taking both of them by surprise. “No, you're not okay. You haven't been okay since the first time I saw you get one of those envelopes. I'm worried, Eve. Please... _Please_ tell me what's going on. I want to help.”

Eve shook her head. “You can't. And I don't want to put you in danger.”

“That just makes me worry about you even more,” Kara fired back. “We're best friends, Eve. Let me be your best friend. Talk to me. Tell me what's going on. Even if I can't actually help, I want to be there for you. And I'm not going to take 'no' for an answer any more.”

“I...” Eve faltered and looked down at her feet. For a long while, the two of them just stood there in the middle of the school hallway while everyone else walked past without paying them any heed. Kara was on the verge of losing hope that she was going to get a straight answer when Eve finally took a deep breath and nodded ever so slightly. “Okay. After school. Come back with me and... and I'll tell you everything.”

“I'll hold you to that,” Kara murmured as she gently wrapped a hand around Eve's wrist. “Now come on. Let's get through the rest of the school day.”

 

* * *

 

Unsurprisingly, Ian was rather taken aback to find Kara following Eve into the car when he came to pick his daughter up after school. “Eve?”

“It's okay, Dad,” Eve spoke up before he could say anything. “I promised Kara I'd explain everything to her.”

“Are you sure?” he asked Eve before turning his attention to Kara. “I know the two of you are close, Kara, but that's precisely why I- why _we_ didn't want to get you involved in the first place. If anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself or be able to face Eliza ever again.”

“Your daughter's my best friend, Mr Teschmacher,” Kara replied simply. “I care about her wellbeing and if this – whatever this is – is as serious as you make it sound, that's even more reason for me to get involved. I want to help however I can. Even if it's just by being a shoulder to lean on. Eliza understands that.”

“...All right,” he finally conceded after a long pause. “Thank you. For being such a good friend to my daughter.”

Kara looked over at Eve who was sitting next to her and smiled softly. “I'm just returning the favour, Mr Teschmacher.”

Nothing else was said until the two girls were safely sequestered in Eve's room and Ian had delivered a few cans of soda before presumably going to prepare dinner. The silence that descended upon them was marginally oppressive and Kara was tempted to crack open her own can of soda and take a sip even though she wasn't thirsty just so she had something to do.

“That was how it started,” Eve began apropos of nothing as she glanced briefly at the innocent-looking item sitting on the floor between them before continuing to stare at her own unopened can of soda. “A lilac envelope in my locker. Inside was a little love poem typed out in neat font. There was no name attached. I figured I had a secret admirer in the school and thought it was kind of sweet. I mean, that's what you'd naturally think in such a situation, right? But then...” She shivered and tightened her grip around the can in her hands. “But then they started showing up in my house's mailbox. And the contents started getting... personal. And detailed. It stopped being sweet then.”

Kara felt a chill run down her spine but did her best to stay composed even as she nodded at the envelope in front of her. “May I?” she asked, and only reached to open it when Eve gave a nod of permission. Upon reading the contents of the envelope, however, the dread from before turned into full-blown alarm. While the words themselves were undeniably romantic in nature, everything about it from the detailed description of Eve's outfit from the other day to the possessive language used was downright disturbing. “Is this... Is this why you and your father moved to Midvale?”

“Mom and Dad thought it was the best solution available to us,” Eve answered miserably. “The police said they couldn't do anything because they didn't even know who was sending the letters and besides, 'sending letters isn't a crime'. Mom couldn't leave her job – her patients needed her – so she and Dad decided that she would stay behind in National City while Dad and I moved somewhere quiet and secluded enough in the hopes that whoever it was wouldn't be able to find and ultimately decide to leave me alone.” Something only vaguely resembling a laugh escaped her. “So much for that.”

“Eve...” Kara shuffled over to envelop the girl in a hug. “I'm so sorry you have to go through this. What can I do?”

“Help me move again?” Eve suggested jokingly and the two girls shared a weak laugh. “Seriously, though, you being here is enough. I'm just... It's such a relief to be able to tell someone. Dad and I had to cut ties with everyone we knew in National City just in case. We haven't talked to Mom since we moved. I... You don't know how much I appreciate the fact that we became friends. That we got to do normal things together like watch movies and hang out and everything. I... I got to feel _normal_ again. And it was _beautiful_. But now...” She shuddered in Kara's arms and started sobbing. “I'm scared, Kara.”

“It's okay,” Kara murmured soothingly as she carefully tightened her arms around her friend. “I'm here for you.” It felt like empty platitudes but judging by the fact that Eve whispered a hoarse word of gratitude in response, it was apparently enough.

They didn't talk much after that. Instead, Kara wordlessly pulled out Eve's stack of Audrey Hepburn movies and let her pick one before popping it into the player and starting it up. Eliza proved to have perfect timing when she arrived to pick Kara up just as the credits began to roll and while Kara found herself reluctant to leave, Eve encouraged her to go home.

“It's okay, Kara. I'll be fine,” Eve told her reassuringly. “Besides, it's not like you prepared for a sleepover.”

“I could just borrow some of your clothes for the night,” Kara tried to argue.

“Kara, please. Go home. I don't want Streaky to hate me for forcing him to try and sleep without you,” Eve begged somewhat jokingly, a hint of a genuine smile playing on her lips.

“That furball is too pampered,” Kara grumbled good-naturedly but shot Eve a worried look. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I'm sure.” Eve stepped closer and gave her one more hug. “Thank you.”

“I didn't do much,” Kara murmured somewhat guiltily as she returned the hug, feeling a little self-conscious due to the fact that both Eliza and Ian were standing nearby watching them.

The chuckle that escaped Eve was somewhat reassuring. “That's so you, saying something like that.”

 

* * *

 

“I hate this.”

Eliza's gaze slid away from the road ahead for a moment to land upon her. “Hmm?”

Kara shifted restlessly in the passenger seat of the car, feeling for all the world as if she had been super-charged but had no outlet for all the energy burning inside her. “I hate not being able to do anything. Not even my powers can help. Eve is suffering and all I can do is offer her baseless reassurances that everything will be fine. I hate it.”

It had not escaped her notice that Eve's situation mirrored her own in a way. Being forced to leave the home she had grown up in due to forces beyond her control... Losing touch with nearly everyone she knew in the process... Feeling terrorised by a seemingly omnipresent entity that threatened to rob her of every shred of normalcy she had... It was all like a less extreme version of what she herself had endured and continued to endure.

And once again, she was helpless to do anything about it.

The universe really did seem to hate her.

“I know, sweetie,” Eliza said soothingly, drawing Kara out of her dark thoughts as a result. “Ian explained everything to me when I came to pick you up. We talked about it and he agreed to tell Sheriff Taylor who said that he would send over a deputy to keep watch over their house later tonight just in case. If everything works out, they'll be able to catch whoever is behind this and their family can finally move on with their lives without constantly looking over their shoulders. Until that happens, all we – and by that I mean you too, Kara – can do is be patient and vigilant.”

Kara sighed and sank into her seat. “I know,” she mumbled, “and I will.”

Even so, it was difficult to force herself to go about her normal routine once they arrived back at the Danvers residence as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Throughout dinner and even when she was doing her homework, she could not shake the feeling of unease and foreboding that had been dogging her since Eve had finally revealed the truth about her situation. The fact that Eve's stalker – because there really was no better way to describe this demented individual – had persevered and managed to find her again after almost two years was not a good sign, to put it lightly. There was no way that they would be deterred by the presence of a lone deputy... and that did not bode well for Eve.

But then a small part of her – the one that seemed to be comprised of nothing but her self-doubt – wondered if she was just obsessing over worst case scenarios. If she was just overthinking things like usual.

“What do you think, St'rki?” she asked her cat as she changed into her pyjamas. “Do you think I'm worrying too much?”

St'rki cocked his head to the side and regarded her seriously for a moment before letting out a meow that seemed to say, “I'm just a cat, remember? What do _I_ know about you two-legs and your strange problems?”

“Some help you are,” she huffed as she picked up her phone and contemplated calling Eve just to check up on her one more time and wish her goodnight before putting the device down again without even sending a message. Considering the events of the day, there was a strong possibility that Eve was already asleep and Kara didn't want to deny her friend her well-deserved rest. No, it was better that she herself go to sleep so that she could tell Mon-El about what she had discovered; worry was making it hard for her to think clearly but maybe he would have a better idea of what she could do to help Eve.

Just as she slipped under the covers, however, her enhanced hearing picked up the sound of someone knocking on the front door and the sense of foreboding from earlier reared its ugly head once again. At first, she tried to convince herself that her imagination was getting the best of her but then she heard Sheriff Taylor's voice.

The conversation between him and Eliza did nothing to quell her fears.

Break-in. Injured. Hospital. Missing.

The words echoed endlessly in her head as she struggled to process just what they meant:

Eve had been abducted from her own home.

She didn't know how long she sat motionless in bed before Eliza came upstairs to find her. “Kara-”

“I heard,” she whispered numbly as she stared unseeingly at Eliza.

Thankfully, Eliza did not offer her any empty words of comfort but instead went right down to business. “I'm going to check up on Ian at the hospital, all right? Stay at home, Kara. Don't do anything reckless. I know you're worried about Eve but Sheriff Taylor has every one of his deputies helping him and I need you to trust him to do his job.”

“But-”

“ _Kara._ ”

“...I'll stay at home.”

“Thank you. I'm leaving now. Try to get some sleep.”

The reckless and panicked part of her wanted to jump out of the window that very second and start searching for Eve, promise be damned, but then a rational voice pointed out that if she had no proper plan, there was no way she was going to be able to find her friend.

 _-Maybe Eliza's right-_ , it suggested meaningfully. _-Maybe you should get some sleep after all.-_

_Of course._

She set her alarm to wake her up in five minutes' time, praying to Rao all the while as she recited her meditation chant that she would be able to save her friend.

 

* * *

 

“Eve's been kidnapped and I need your help to save her.”

Barely a second had passed after the last word had left her lips before Mon-El enveloped her in a hug and initiated their mental connection. “Tell me everything,” he murmured when he finally pulled away, his features creased in a look of uncharacteristic seriousness.

Kara made sure not to speak too quickly as she relayed everything she had learnt about Eve's situation and the current danger her friend was in, beyond grateful for the comforting presence of the blue-grey energy in her head as she talked. “I want to look for her but I don't know how or where to look and time is of the essence,” she finished somewhat breathlessly. “My alarm is set to wake me up in five minutes.”

“Then we need to work as quickly as possible,” he said firmly. “If you could use your powers, this would be a lot easier but since you have to do this as Kara Danvers, I have a feeling you only have one chance so you'll have to get it right the first time.”

It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that she was once again being prevented from using her powers to do something good – something as important as saving someone's life – but she pushed the feeling aside and focused her attention on the problem at hand. Now was not the time for self-pity. “I'm worried that whoever has Eve has already fled Midvale with her and it's too late,” she said instead, expressing a very real fear that was currently eating away at her.

However, Mon-El dismissed her worries with an almost casual wave of his hand. “No. Chances are she's still in Midvale but hidden away somewhere secluded. The kidnapper wants to flee with her, yes, but if they are as smart as they sound, they're most likely planting some false evidence somewhere far away from where they hid Eve right now to throw everyone off their tracks. Once everyone's attention has been diverted, that's when they'll retrieve Eve and run. Show me a map of Midvale please?”

The detached way he had given his analysis caught her attention but she put it aside for now and did as he asked. A small-scale recreation of the town formed in front of them and she quickly pointed out key locations such as Eve's home.

“There.” He pointed at a loose cluster of rectangles in the woods after studying the 'map' for a while. “What are those?”

“Just some cabins that get rented out every once in a while when either the locals or visitors want to get away from everything.”

“Are any of them occupied right now?”

“Not as far as I know.”

“Eve might be there. I'd recommend using that enhanced hearing of yours to check first. Her heart should be racing since she'll be scared out of her mind so listen out for that. If you hear a calm heart rate, it's probably not her. If she's not there, she could be at another equally secluded location like this place-” he pointed at a small warehouse, “-but again, I'd suggest listening out for her heartbeat to be sure before you run off. If anyone asks how you managed to find her, just say it was a lucky guess and pray no one pries any further.”

“You seem to know a lot about this,” she noted carefully.

He stilled, as did the blue-grey energy in her head, and dragged his free hand down his face. “It doesn't matter right now. And you should probably try to wake up now instead of lingering.”

She squeezed his hand. “It matters to me. And I'm not going to do that. So please. Tell me.”

A gusty sigh escaped him and there was a stretch of silence before he spoke. “I was kidnapped once. I think I was... fifteen? It's hard to remember the details because of the drugs. A dissident group wanted... I don't remember what they wanted from my parents and thought that they could get it by using me as leverage. They attacked an event I was attending to get to me and killed my personal guard – Hal-Ed's predecessor – in the process. While I was in their clutches, I overheard them discussing their plan. Guess they didn't think it was worth the effort to keep their plan secret from me. I kept trying to tell them it didn't matter – my parents would never listen. Even if I died, they'd probably just create another child with the Birthing Matrix to replace me. My life wasn't worth them being seen as weak and open to future blackmail attempts.”

Her heart broke for him. “Mon-El...”

His lips twitched to form what passed for a smile. “That was how Hal-Ed came to be my personal guard, by the way. He was one of the men my parents sent to rescue me. Got a very impressive wound right here-” he drew a line down her left arm with his finger, “-in the process of taking out the man holding me at knifepoint. He was so proud of it, you know. Refused to let the medi-droid heal it instantly because he wanted it to scar. Proof of his devotion to Daxam and the royal family, he said. It didn't matter that hardly anyone would see it; he knew it was there and that was enough for him. My parents decided to reward him by making him my new personal guard and... well, you know the rest.”

“Mon-El, I-” she started only to stop when the distant sound of her alarm registered in her ears.

“Time to go, I assume?” he asked, having accurately read her expression. “Go on. Eve needs you.”

Even though she knew what was at stake, she still tried to stay in the dream world a little longer. “We're going to talk about this later,” she insisted as she pulled him into a tight hug.

“I'll prepare myself accordingly,” he chuckled weakly. “Good luck.”

“Hopefully I won't need it,” she mumbled. “But thank you anyway.”

 

* * *

 

The comforting feel of Mon-El's embrace followed her into the real world, and Kara drew strength from it even as her mind focused on her goal of saving Eve. St'rki gave a loud meow of protest when she accidentally jostled him while in the process of hurriedly getting out of bed and she offered him a rushed apology as she changed back into her day clothes, slipped her lock-pick set into her pocket just in case and clambered out the window. Then she closed her eyes, took a deep calming breath and focused.

_There._

Just as Mon-El had suggested, her ears picked up the sound of an accelerated heart rate coupled with what sounded like muffled screaming coming from the direction of the cabins. Judging by the fact that she couldn't hear any other human heartbeat near it, Eve's kidnapper had left her alone... for now. If she wanted to rescue her friend, she had to act _now_.

Mind made up, she leapt down and started running the moment her feet hit the ground. _Not again_ , she swore to herself. _Never again._ She was not going to lose yet another person in her life. She refused to. She would just have to apologise to Eliza later for breaking her promise.

It was a struggle to refrain from flying or even using her super-speed as she set a steady believable pace for herself. She had learnt her lesson almost three years ago and she was not going to make the same mistake again. It would do no one any good if she saved Eve from one danger only to put her in even more danger.

Even so, it chafed. Once again, the limitations others had placed on her were making it difficult for her to do what she believed – what she knew in her heart – was the right thing to do. But she would have to deal with it and do what she could. There was no other option.

After what felt like an hour of non-stop running in the dark, the cabins finally came into view and Kara slowed down when she finally arrived at the one where she could hear sounds inside. She sent a short prayer of thanks to Rao for having the foresight to pack her lock-pick set as she worked on unlocking the front door, once again resisting the urge to just use her super-strength to yank the door clean off its hinges.

The sight of Eve tied to a chair, a gag in her mouth and tears streaming down her face, greeted her the second she managed to get the door open, and Kara could not for the life of her decide if she felt more relieved or enraged in that moment.

“Hang on, Eve,” she told her friend in as reassuring a voice as she could manage as she removed the gag and set about untying the girl. “I'm going to get you out of here and we're going to run, okay?”

“Kara! Thank God!” Eve exclaimed hoarsely, her voice no doubt raw due to all her attempts to scream for help earlier. “How did you find me?”

“Lucky guess,” Kara replied tersely. “Enough about that for now. Can you run?”

Eve shook her head violently. “I-I twisted my ankle when I tried to run away the first time. It was Ross. Ross Vilcreek. He was- He was a senior at my old school. I never thought- He didn't seem like- Why? Why me? What did I do?”

“Eve. Eve, look at me,” Kara gently shushed her friend as she gripped Eve's arms. “That doesn't matter right now. What matters is we start moving and get as far away from here as possible before he comes back, okay? Now sling your arm over my shoulder; I'll help you take some of your weight off your ankle. That should help us move a little faster. You ready?” She waited until Eve nodded hesitantly before smiling reassuringly. “Okay, let's go.”

She tried to be hopeful and optimistic as they began half-hobbling away from the cabin but Kara knew they were in serious trouble the moment her enhanced hearing picked up the sound of an approaching vehicle. It had to be this Ross guy, no doubt about it, and she mentally cursed. At the rate they were moving, their only chance of truly escaping was if their pursuer failed to figure out the direction in which they had fled. Their chances were slim at best but it was at least something. That was what she kept telling herself even as she heard the engine die and a male voice utter a litany of curses a short while later. Eve's disappearance from the cabin had probably been discovered so now it was all a matter of whether they could get to safety before he found them.

Then Eve tripped over an exposed tree root and while Kara managed to prevent her from falling to the ground, it still created enough noise that Kara was all too sure had been heard by their pursuer.

She could save Eve right this second. Just pick the girl up and either fly or super-speed away in the blink of an eye. If only she didn't have to hide her powers. If only, if only, if only.

Instead, all she could do was urge Eve to go faster even as the sound of footsteps got closer and closer to them.

Then there was an ominous click and Kara knew their luck had run out.

“Stop right there,” the male voice that had cursed earlier said calmly, and both girls froze in their tracks before slowly turning around to face him.

The first thought that crossed Kara's mind as she looked at the young man pointing a gun at them was that he didn't look evil at all. Instead, he looked like any normal human with his sandy brown hair, dark brown eyes, grey shirt, faded jeans and black hoodie.

Somehow, that just made him that much more sinister.

“Ross, please,” Eve begged as tears started running down her cheeks again, “just let us go.”

“Why, Eve?” He seemed genuinely lost. Lost and disturbingly hurt. “I thought you liked the poems. I thought you liked _me_. Why won't you just come with me? We could be so happy together.”

“I barely know you!” Eve cried. “Please... just leave me alone!”

“You heard her, creep,” Kara snarled as she positioned herself so that her body shielded Eve's. “Get out of here and leave Eve alone from now on. If you do that, maybe we won't tell anyone that it was you.”

“And I'm supposed to believe you?” he scoffed. “You're just trying to keep us apart and I won't let you. In fact...” He pointed the gun directly at Kara's head. “I should probably make sure of that right now.”

“NO!” Eve struggled to push Kara away but failed. “Please, don't hurt her! I'll go with you! Just promise me you won't hurt Kara!”

“Eve, no! You're not going with him and that's final!” It was happening all over again. Someone she cared about was going to sacrifice themselves to protect her and she was expected to just let them.

_No. Not again. Never again._

Even if she had to reveal her true identity in the process... Even if this was going to get her captured by the DEO and turned into their lab rat... She refused to let someone sacrifice themselves for her again.

“Well then,” Ross said calmly, “I guess that settles it.”

He fired, and Kara honestly wondered who among the three of them was most surprised when she reached out and caught the bullet in one hand. (“Reckless and showy as always,” a small voice at the back of her head which sounded suspiciously like Mon-El sighed.)

“What the-”

A little taken aback that her crazy gamble had actually worked, Kara took a moment to process what she had just done before realising that she had to take full advantage of Ross' shock. She shifted just enough to make Eve let go of her, sped right in front of the still stunned man, plucked the gun out of his grip with one hand, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt with her other hand and lifted him off the ground as she floated a few feet in the air.

“Stay the hell away from Eve,” she snarled as she let her heat vision build up just enough for her eyes to glow threateningly, “and if I ever see you again, I will _end_ you.”

It was possibly a little over the top and she didn't really have any intention of going through with her threat since the idea of killing anyone – even someone as despicable as this guy – made her incredibly queasy but what mattered was that he believed her.

Judging by the look of pure fear etched on his face and the frantic way he was nodding, he did.

“Good. Now get out of Midvale and never come back.” With that, she let go and watched as he fell to the ground and scrambled away in the direction of the cabin.

“Kara?”

She flinched. Of course. Her actions may have saved Eve but they had also exposed her secret to not only a guy who she was sure would not stay silent about it but also her friend, and she had no idea how that was going to affect their friendship. If they were even going to still have a friendship after this.

It was time to find out.

Ever so slowly, she lowered herself back down on the ground and turned to face the girl. “Eve, I can explain.”

“You're an alien, aren't you?” Eve asked, an unreadable look on her face.

“I...” There didn't seem to be any point in trying to lie so Kara hung her head. “Yes, I am.”

This was it. Eve was going to hate her. She was going to expose her secret and both Eliza and Alex were going to pay for it-

Two arms suddenly wrapped around her, causing her to snap her eyes open and stare blankly at the girl hugging her. “Eve?”

“I don't care,” Eve mumbled.

To say that Kara was shocked was an understatement. “Y-You don't?”

“Kara, _you saved my life_ ,” Eve stressed. “I'm pretty sure that trumps literally _everything_.”

“B-But aren't you mad that I kept this a secret from you?” Kara pressed as she started to consider whether she was hallucinating all this.

“Oh, Kara... I'm from National City. I _totally_ understand.”

“...Um... I'm sorry, but I don't really see how those two things are connected.”

Eve pulled away then to regard Kara quizzically before her face lit up. “Oh! I totally forget sometimes that people who don't live in National City don't know about it. There are a lot of alien refugees there and... well, a lot of anti-alien sentiments there as well. So yeah, I totally get why you would keep the fact that you're an alien a secret from me. And...” She smiled warmly. “And I'm really happy that you thought saving my life was worth revealing your secret. I promise I won't tell anyone. Oh!” Her smile turned upside down. “Won't you have to worry about Ross knowing and telling someone your secret now?”

“I'll worry about that later,” Kara sighed as her shoulders sagged in relief. “Right now, what matters is that you're safe. Now come on; your father's in the hospital and everyone's worried about you.” She paused. “Uh, do you mind if I just carry you? It would be a lot faster that way and you won't injure your ankle any further.”

Eve laughed genuinely for what felt like the first time in over a week. “As if this rescue couldn't get any better.”

 

* * *

 

Ross tripped and stumbled his way back to his car, desperate to quickly get as far away from that... that... _freak_ as he could. Once he was safe, he could figure out what to do next. With enough time, he was sure he would be able to figure out a way to get back at that _thing_ that dared to stand between him and Eve.

Just as he reached his car, however, the sight of a man he didn't recognise standing next to the vehicle caused him to slow down.

“Ross Vilcreek,” the stranger called out to him. “I'm afraid you'll be coming with me now.”

“Who the hell are you?” he demanded harshly. Why was everyone trying to get between him and Eve? Why couldn't they just leave them alone to be happy together?

“I'd tell you,” the stranger replied, “but there would be no point to it.”

Then the man's eyes flashed red, and that was the last thing that registered in his mind before the darkness swallowed him whole.

 

* * *

 

It was fortunate that he had maintained his own covert surveillance of the Danvers girls, the stranger thought to himself as he stared impassively at the crumpled form of the human in front of him. He shuddered to think of what might have happened if he had not known about this man's plans and arrived in time. After giving himself a moment to prepare, he carefully erased the last thirty minutes or so from the man's memory before analysing the situation. It was also fortunate that there was a vehicle handy; all he had to do was engineer a car accident and ensure that the man incurred a head injury in the process – something serious enough that a doctor would attribute his retrograde amnesia to it but not enough to prevent him from standing trial and going to jail where he rightfully belonged. This would ensure not only that Kara's secret remained safe but also that her friend Eve would never have to worry about this man harming her ever again.

His actions were distasteful, he knew, but they were also necessary. He had, after all, promised a dying man, father to father, that he would protect the man's daughters no matter what and he would do whatever it took to keep his word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of things had to happen in this chapter so I hope I handled the flow well and it didn't come out too messy. Again, I apologise for the lateness of this update and I'm probably not going to be able to return to my Sunday update schedule until I start the next arc... which is just two chapters away! Look how far we've come! And I promise you we still have a long way to go before this fic concludes so I hope you stick with me until the end.
> 
> ...For the record, I'm STILL pissed off at the finale, you can forget about me buying Season 3 in any form and I probably won't be watching Season 4. No Karamel (anyone who messes with my OTP deserves to burn in writer hell), no Mon-El (my poor eternally heartbroken space puppy deserved so much better), NO VIEWS (may their ratings sink like the Titanic). I can't even bring myself to stick with the show for Melissa/Kara considering how badly they screwed up her character IN ONE EPISODE. Don't even get me started on how according to them, she really can't have it all. SCREW YOU, WRITERS. MY GIRL DESERVES TO BE HAPPY AND YOU COULDN'T PAY ME TO WATCH YOU MAKE HER ETERNALLY MISERABLE, OKAY?! (Also, as someone who loves analysing time travel theories, I view this entire mess as further proof that anyone who can't even wrap their feeble minds around the Grandfather Paradox should be banned from writing anything involving time travel.)


	15. Elusive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions are asked. Answers are provided. Somehow, certain things still get lost in conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so apparently I underestimated my own fic if that's even possible because what I thought could be done in one chapter... couldn't. Basically it got way too long so I had to chop it in half and rewrite it so this half could stand on its own. So... uh, yay for this arc having one more chapter?
> 
> In other pseudo-related news, I once again had the pleasure of watching one of my comics-based ships (DC, even!) get horribly betrayed this week after the writers hyped it up for a year. (Sound familiar?) Isn't shipping life just great? AHAHAHAHAHASCREW YOU, TOM KING.

Given the events that had led up to this point, it was almost a miracle that everything took a turn for the better after that.

Ian's injuries which he had incurred while attempting to defend his home and daughter had fortunately been deemed to not be life-threatening in any way although the doctors still insisted on keeping him overnight for observation. Father and daughter had a tearful reunion when Kara finally brought Eve to the hospital – without carrying her the last stretch of the journey, of course – and Eliza was relieved enough that they were both all right that she merely hugged Kara without a word.

Kara still got grounded though. She supposed she really should have expected nothing less.

Ross stopped being a general cause for concern when one of Sheriff Taylor's deputies found his car wrapped around a tree and him slumped over the steering wheel with an impressive gash on his forehead later that night. However, both girls only allowed themselves to breathe easily when they learnt that the head wound had caused him to forget their little encounter in the woods. Kara's secret was safe so that was one less thing to worry about.

Being a much more responsible and dedicated law enforcement figure compared to his predecessor, Sheriff Taylor wasted no time in doing his job. Ross was handcuffed to his hospital bed, tucked away in the furthest possible room from Ian's and placed under round-the-clock watch – a task which was given to the sheriff's most trusted deputies – before anyone could even make the request.

It was therefore with great relief and a smile that Kara went to sleep that night in her own bed after having been convinced by Eve that it was unnecessary for her to stay with her at the hospital. The moment she appeared in the dream world, she wasted no time in telling Mon-El everything up to and including the fact that Eve now knew her secret and was perfectly accepting of it.

“That's good,” he murmured into her hair after sweeping her up in a tight hug. “I'm really happy to hear that.”

She allowed herself the luxury of soaking up every bit of comfort he was readily offering her as she hugged him back. “Sheriff Taylor's promised us that he's going do whatever he can to fast-track the case against Ross and throw every charge he thinks has a chance of sticking at the guy so that his sentence will be prolonged,” she continued. “The sooner and longer he's in jail, the sooner and longer Eve and her family can rest easy.”

“Do you think Earth's justice system can be trusted?” he asked seriously as he pulled away to regard her, his worry evident in his eyes and the blue-grey energy in her head.

“I trust Sheriff Taylor,” she replied firmly. “Besides, I overheard a phone conversation between him and some government agent who identified herself as Noel Neill. I didn't understand half of the legal phrases they used but from the sounds of it, he's going to make sure that justice will be served and she's going to help him do just that. In fact, she even promised that she's going to try and make it so that Eve and I don't have to testify in court. If that really happens, I won't have to worry about my secret getting accidentally exposed if someone catches on that I'm lying about how I rescued Eve.”

“Considering we both know how utterly terrible you are at lying, that's probably for the best,” he commented teasingly, a hint of his trademark cheeky grin playing on his lips.

“Oh shut up,” she muttered and half-heartedly smacked him on the chest but didn't remove her hand as the memory of everything he had told her during her earlier visit came back to her. “Mon-El, about before...” she started slowly.

His grin vanished, much to her dismay, and was replaced a look of grim resignation. “Ah. So we're having that conversation now.”

She intertwined her other hand with his and squeezed it. “First, I want to say thank you. I don't know if I would've been able to find Eve in time without your advice to guide me.”

“It's nothing,” he shrugged it off with something that passed for a smile. “I'm just glad I could be of use.”

“Don't say it like that,” she scolded him. “Your help was invaluable and I won't have you undervaluing yourself like that, got it?”

He held up his free hand in surrender. “Understood,” he said, and the blue-grey energy in her head seemed to cautiously curl around her thoughts in a meek, apologetic way. It would have been reassuring if not for the fact that she knew about his abysmal perception of his own worth – largely due to his parents' treatment of him, no doubt, and oh, how she _hated_ them for it – and her thus far sluggish progress to change that for the better.

“As for the other matter,” she continued albeit in a gentler tone, having decided to let it slide for now, “I know it happened long ago but I still want to say that I'm sorry you had to go through something like that. And... And I'm glad that Hal-Ed was able to save you. That you had someone who was that devoted to your safety by your side after that even if the circumstances of your meeting could have been a lot more pleasant.”

She didn't want to say it out loud but a part of her was beyond grateful for the fact that he had had someone like that protecting him until the day Daxam had fallen. Every single time he shared a similar story where he had come close to dying in the past, a flash of fear would run through her. To her, each one of those incidents represented a point of divergence in time – a possible universe where he had not in fact survived and thus would never have lived on to ultimately escape Daxam. A universe where she had never met him.

It was never a pleasant thought to have, and so like every other time she shoved it away into a dark corner of her mind where she didn't have to contemplate it any further.

“I _have_ mentioned that he was really annoying though, right?” Mon-El joked lightly in a transparent attempt to lighten the mood, oblivious as to where exactly her train of thought had taken her. “And I mean _really_ annoying. On his first day as my personal guard, he tore my room apart in the name of 'ensuring that his predecessor had not missed any potential death traps or surveillance devices hidden in it'.”

“That just sounds like he was doing his job,” Kara tried defending the man whose only crime seemed to have been that he was just very passionate about his duties.

“He set my pillow on fire because he thought he smelled a trace of poison on it,” he said flatly although the corners of his lips did twitch a little. “Turns out it was just the cleaning solution the servants had used to wash it.”

“...Okay, so maybe he took things a little _too_ far sometimes,” she amended. “But you have to admit that it was good that he took his job seriously.”

“I suppose,” Mon-El murmured as he looked away, and she had no doubt that he was recounting the last time he had ever seen the man. As she was struggling to figure out what to say, he seemed to shake away his thoughts before training his eyes on her once more. “Enough about that. Do you think Eve will be all right? She went through something rather traumatic, after all, and it's bound to have an effect on her however small.”

A little annoyed at how swiftly he had changed the topic, Kara nevertheless let it go and gave his query the attention it deserved. “I'm not sure,” she replied honestly. “She was pretty shaken up during the ordeal itself but the look of relief on her face when Sheriff Taylor told us that Ross was in custody was encouraging. In any case, I'm going to make sure that she knows I'm there for her every step of the way moving forward,” she declared with great conviction. “I'm not going to let her go through this alone.”

He offered her a soft smile and pulled her in for another hug. “I expected nothing less from you,” he murmured.

 

* * *

 

As it turned out, Eve was a lot more resilient than Kara had given her credit for.

It was almost as if Ross' capture, despite the unpleasant events that had led up to that conclusion, had filled the girl with a new drive to live life to the fullest instead of causing her to want to hide away in fear like she had when he had reappeared in her life. While everything that had transpired had undeniably left its mark on her – case in point: loud noises made her jump especially if they sounded like gunshots –, she adamantly refused to let Ross and his obsession with her affect her any longer than it already had.

“I'm done with allowing him to dictate how I live my life,” Eve said simply when Kara finally worked up the courage to ask her about it directly at school a few days later. “I don't have to look over my shoulder any more, I get to talk to Mom again as often as I like, I can open my mailbox or locker without dreading the sight of one of his letters... Everything is possible now and I want to take full advantage of that.”

If Kara hadn't already been in awe of her friend before this, she certainly would be now. “You're really brave, Eve. I don't know if I could go through what you did and be able to get out of bed in the morning.”

“Oh hush. You totally would,” Eve objected crossly. “For someone with powers, you seem to have a lot of trouble believing in yourself, you know.”

Kara merely shrugged, unsure as to how she could explain it without sounding like she was trying to gain Eve's sympathy. “So what do you plan to do with your newfound sense of freedom?” she asked instead in an effort to change the subject.

“Honestly? There are so many things I feel like doing that I have no idea where to start,” Eve confessed. “Part of me wants to borrow Dad's car this very second and drive myself back to National City just because I can.”

“Are you?” Kara blurted out before she could stop herself, a small spike of fear and uncertainty running through her at Eve's words. “Going back to National City, I mean. Now that Ross is in custody, you don't have any reason to stay in Midvale... Plus, I'm sure you miss your mother and you'd like your family to be whole again.” It was perfectly understandable; if she were in Eve's shoes, that was probably what she would do, after all.

Even so... she would be lying if she said that the thought of Eve leaving didn't sadden her. Their friendship was something she cherished deeply and with the revelation that the girl was completely okay not only with the fact that Kara was an alien but also that she had kept it secret all this time, she was extremely reluctant to lose that.

Eve stared at her in confusion for a moment before her face lit up in understanding. “Oh! Oh no, Kara! I've already talked to Mom and Dad about it and they agreed that it would be easier if I just finished high school here in Midvale instead of transferring back to National City mid-year. I mean, we're already going to be seniors next year; it would be too much of a hassle to try and fit back in at my old school after having been away for so long only to graduate and leave it all again in slightly more than one years' time. Besides,” she added with a smile as she reached out to clasp Kara's hands with her own, “how could I possibly give up being in the same school as my best friend – the best friend who saved my life at that?”

The mirroring smile that formed on Kara's face seemed to be proof that Eve's joy was contagious. “Really? I mean, you don't have to feel like you're obligated to stay because of me,” she quickly added. “Like I said, you must miss being able to have your whole family back under one roof and seeing your mother every single day-”

“Stop right there,” Eve cut her off authoritatively and jabbed a finger in Kara's face for an added touch of flair. “Yes, I do miss those things but I have Dad and we can drive to National City for the weekend to see Mom now – provided she's free, of course – anytime we want so that's not an issue. In fact, we're already planning an extended family vacation when the holidays come around although we haven't decided whether we're going to stay in the city or go somewhere else like we used to.” For some strange reason, her smile suddenly gained a mischievous edge to it. “You know what this means, right?”

“...That we won't be able to hang out during the holidays like we did before?” Kara hazarded a guess, unsure where Eve was going with this. “I'll be fine, Eve. You don't have to worry about me.”

“Nope,” Eve replied rather chirpily. “Definitely going to worry about you especially since you won't even have Alex around to keep you company so expect me to call and check up on you like every other day or something. But that's not what I'm talking about right now.”

“...So... what is it then?” Kara asked with genuine bafflement.

Eve's smile widened and she all but bounced in her seat. The girl really had way too much energy considering she was just a regular human. “We're going to have as many sleepovers as we possibly can until then and after that to make up for it. How does that sound?”

Oh. So that's where she'd been going with this. “I'd love to but... I'm grounded, remember?” Kara reminded her friend regretfully.

“But I'm not,” Eve pointed out. “I'll have to ask Dad, of course, but he should be totally okay with the idea. Do you think Alex will be fine with me pseudo-moving into her half of your room while she's away? I know we used to just have sleepovers at my place because we didn't want to disturb her – or vice versa, considering her music choices – but now that she's not living at home any more...” she trailed off meaningfully.

Kara dismissed Eve's concerns with a casual wave of her hand. “As long as you don't touch any of her stuff, she'll be fine with it. As for permission, I'll have to ask Eliza too first but I don't think she'll object to it. Speaking of which, want to come over for a while after school? Eliza made peanut butter cookies.”

“Sold,” Eve said with a grin.

 

* * *

 

Eliza gave her blessing easily enough but not without pointedly noting that this was a rather shrewd way of getting around her being grounded. Unwilling to risk losing her little victory, Kara decided it was safer to just meekly say thank you before retreating to her room where she could start making sleepover plans with Eve over a smuggled plate of peanut butter cookies. Throughout the entire planning session, however, she could tell that the girl's concentration was split between their sleepover plans and some other topic.

She didn't find out what that topic was until their first scheduled sleepover... and when it finally came up, she realised she really should have expected it considering everything.

“Okay, so you know we've been really preoccupied with you-know-what for the past couple of weeks and I didn't think it was appropriate to bring this up in the middle of all that but I have to know,” Eve started once they had sequestered themselves in the bedroom after dinner. “I mean I don't _have_ to know in the sense that you _have_ to tell me and I totally understand if you don't feel comfortable telling me about it but I've just been _really_ curious and-”

“Wait. Stop.” Kara held up a hand as she tried to wrap her head around the barrage of words that Eve had just unloaded on her. “What is it that you want to know? And please speak a little slower; you're losing me here.”

Eve gestured at Kara with a pointed look. “You, silly! I mean, you can't drop a bombshell like the fact that you're actually an alien on me and not expect me to want to know more!” She paused and held her hands up while sporting a wide-eyed look. “Oh, but again, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to and even if you _do_ decide to tell me, I promise not to pry if there's something specific you don't want to share.”

“Oh. Um. No, it's okay.” Kara raised a hand to uselessly adjust her glasses as she struggled to find the right words. “I guess I don't really mind telling you since I know I can trust you to keep my secret.”

“Of course,” Eve interjected while nodding vigorously. “Your secret is safe with me, Kara.”

Kara reached over to squeeze Eve's hand gratefully. “Thank you. Well, um... I guess I should start at the beginning...”

It was both frightening and liberating, being able to tell someone her life story for the first time and of her own volition. Everyone before this who knew about her true origins and identity had learnt it from some other source – even Kal-El, who had himself only found out about her existence thanks to the Fortress of Solitude – or, in the case of the DEO, obtained the information without her permission. This was the first time she had ever had a say in its reveal and it felt... good. Like she had some control over the narrative.

Eve proved to be an attentive listener and never once interrupted her as she talked about Krypton's destruction, being trapped in the Phantom Zone for twenty-four years, finally arriving on Earth to find that the baby cousin was supposed to protect had grown up to become a superhero in her absence and last but not least her struggle to fit in both in the Danvers household and among the human populace.

“...And that's it, I guess,” Kara said once she finished her story, feeling a little emotionally drained but also strangely refreshed at the same time.

“You've had a hard life,” Eve commented then immediately winced. “Sorry, that sounded very hollow.”

“No, it's fine,” Kara shook her head. “I know it's hard to find the right words for situations like this. I appreciate the sentiment.”

“So Superman's your cousin, huh?” Eve asked after a moment of silence. “Does he keep in touch? Visit? Call? I mean, he has a human identity like you, right? That should make it easier for him to drop by every now and then, I imagine.”

“He does,” Kara affirmed. “But... um, I don't think I feel comfortable telling you his name. It's not my secret to tell. I hope you don't mind.”

Eve shook her head. “I totally understand and I won't ask. Besides, I don't think there's any point in me knowing anyway.”

Kara blinked in surprise. “You're not curious?”

“Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't,” Eve admitted with a shrug. “But what would I do with that information even if I knew? It's not like I can tell anyone. Or _should_ , even. In that sense, it's better that I don't know.”

“...That's true,” Kara admitted. So much for mentally preparing a speech about how dangerous it was to know big secrets such as Kal-El's human identity. _Then again_ , she chastised herself, _she's already been so accepting of everything you've told her and the fact that she has to help you keep your secret now. You really should have expected this._ “I'll be honest, I'm actually a little worried about you knowing my secret as it is. There are... some people who might do something like hurt or threaten you to get to me.”

“Well, I can't imagine anyone thinking I'm worth the effort so I don't think you have to worry all that much. Wait a minute,” Eve suddenly exclaimed as her eyes widened and she pointed an accusatory finger in Kara's face. “If everything you just told me is true, then there's something I don't get.”

Feeling for all the world as if she'd suddenly walked into a trap, Kara tensed up. “W-What is it?” she asked warily.

Eve didn't move her finger away from Kara's face. In fact, the girl actually brought it closer so she could poke her nose. “If you're really an alien and your life on Earth started right here in Midvale with the Danvers instead of Metropolis, _then who is Mike_?”

Kara choked on air. “ _W-What?_ ” Oh Rao. How could she have overlooked the fact that by revealing her true origins to Eve, her cover story for her relationship with Mon-El would also end up being torn to shreds? Grife, grife, grife. What was she supposed to do now?

“You heard me!” Eve poked Kara's nose again, effectively drawing her out of her semi-catatonic state in the process. “How much of everything you've told me about him until now was a lie? Is he even real?”

“Of course he's real!” Kara protested immediately, finding it in herself to be a little miffed at the accusation despite her current panicked state. “He's not some imaginary friend I made up for fun, okay?!”

“Then who is he?” Eve pressed on as her finger once again jabbed at Kara's nose. “Because he certainly can't be some human guy living in Metropolis who you chat with online every day! Not with everything you've told me! So spill!”

“Okay, okay! I'll tell you! Just stop poking me already!” Kara caved while swatting Eve's hand away.

What looked like a satisfied smile formed on Eve's face as she settled back down and began studying Kara rather intensely.

Kara cleared her throat and nervously fiddled with her glasses as she tried to figure out how to go about this. “So... um... Remember I said that I was in the Phantom Zone for twenty-four years?” Eve nodded silently and Kara took that as her cue to continue. “Well, I... uh... didn't just sleep through it all. I mean, I _did_ sleep while I was there but from my perspective, I didn't just wake up when I arrived on Earth as if time hadn't passed for me at all. I... I _felt_ the time pass, in a way. I... Oh, this is _so_ hard to explain,” she complained as she massaged her forehead in an effort to stave off the headache she could feel forming. “I guess you could say I had this... dream while I was sleeping. Of course, I didn't know it was a dream at the time but there I was in this place I'd never even seen before and when I went searching for answers, I found him there too.”

“Mike,” Eve guessed and then cocked her head to her side. “Is that even his real name?”

“No, it's not,” Kara admitted. “His real name is Mon-El – you know, what I claimed was his online username. I came up with Mike as a cover because... well, you can guess why.”

Eve nodded. “Go on.”

“We... um, didn't get along at first. That was mostly my fault.” Rao, it was so embarrassing to recall how badly their first interaction had gone, much less admit it considering how close they were now. “He didn't make it easy, of course, but I did throw some pretty ugly and baseless accusations at him just because... well, see, he's from Daxam which is Krypton's sister planet and our planets... um... Let's just say that they really didn't get along and there were a lot of prejudices flying about. It didn't help that he was the crown prince-”

“Wait, wait, wait. Stop right there.” Eve held up a hand and stared accusingly at Kara. “He's a _prince_?”

“Yes...”

“And your planets hated each other?”

“...Yes...”

“Oh, this just got _so_ much more interesting,” Eve muttered seemingly to herself. Before Kara could question her friend about the strange statement, however, the girl leaned in with that all too familiar inquisitive look of hers. “Continue, please.”

“...Okay... um...” Deciding that it was probably for the best if she didn't think too much about it, Kara resumed her story. “It took a while but we eventually got over all the bad blood between our planets and... you know... became really good friends. Best friends, even. He's the first best friend I ever had. My best best friend.” Unnoticed by her, a soft smile tugged at her lips as the memories replayed themselves in her mind. (Eve, on the other hand, did _not_ fail to notice the smile.) “Then my pod left the Phantom Zone and I woke up on Earth.”

Eve let out a sad sound that made Kara think of kicked puppies. “What happened then?”

“This is... kind hard to explain since we don't fully understand it either but... he's kind of still there in that dream world. I say that but that just applies to his... well, consciousness, I guess? His physical body is still floating somewhere out there in space where time is static – we think that might be one of the factors that allowed us to... well, meet in the first place – so he's still twenty-seven the way I remained twelve years old while I was in the Phantom Zone. I've been trying to locate him as well as figure out a way to rescue him for the past few years without much luck but I'm not giving up on him. Ever. But we're digressing. I think. Um, so anyway... when I go to sleep, I end up back there in the dream world with him so whatever it is that's allowing us to meet is still working so... um, yeah.”

“So when you said you chat with him every night...” Eve trailed off.

“I wasn't really lying. Maybe about the how but certainly not the fact that I talk to him,” Kara clarified.

“I see...” Eve hummed thoughtfully.

“...You're taking this all rather well,” Kara commented with muted surprise.

Eve stared confusedly back at her. “Why wouldn't I?”

“Well...” Kara shrugged. “I guess a part of me was expecting you to say that I must be crazy or something. I mean, a mental connection with the crown prince of a rival sister planet who I never met before? It's a lot to process, much less accept wholesale.”

That prompted Eve to stare at Kara as if she really had said something crazy. “Kara, _you're an alien_ ,” she pointed out flatly. “Why should I expect _any_ part of your life to be normal by human standards? You already have superpowers; _I'd_ be the crazy one for thinking that the ways you're different from us end there. Frankly speaking, I think it's already a small miracle that you look exactly like one of us.”

“...I suppose I can't argue with that logic,” Kara finally found herself saying after a moment of stumped silence.

Eve let out a suspicious-sounding hum. “This definitely changes things though.”

“...Changes what exactly?” Kara asked guardedly, suddenly feeling like the trap she'd walked into earlier had just tightened its grip around her in some indiscernible fashion.

At that, Eve perked up and gave her what she assumed was meant to be a reassuring smile but just set off more alarm bells in Kara's head. Just what in the world was the girl up to? “Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. But anyway, we're totally avoiding one of the biggest and most important questions here and I think I deserve an answer right now.”

Her suspicions about Eve's strange behaviour forgotten for the moment, Kara found herself utterly mystified. She was pretty sure she'd covered everything that had to be covered so what else was there to talk about? “...And that would be...?”

Eve let out a frustrated huff and reached over to smack Kara's arm. “Tell me what he looks like already! I mean, you totally led me to believe that even you didn't know – I'm _so_ not forgiving you for that, by the way – but now that I know the real situation, I demand details!”

“ _W-What? Why?_ ” Sputtering incredulously, Kara found herself incapable of doing much else aside from staring blankly at her friend as a strange twisting feeling started manifesting in her stomach.

“Come on, you can't seriously expect me to not be curious,” Eve scolded her somewhat crossly. “Especially now that I know he's a prince. _A prince, Kara._ This is totally something best friends share with one another.” Her eyes suddenly gained a mysterious gleam. “Or is there a reason you don't want to tell me?”

“I... no... I mean... sure, but... It's just... um...” The twisting feeling got more pronounced as Kara struggled to figure out what to say. On an intellectual level, she could completely understand why Eve would want to know but a part of her was extremely reluctant to share any more than she already had. Why?

“Well?” Eve pressed, pulling Kara out of the maelstrom that was her confusing thoughts in the process.

No credible reason why she should refuse Eve's request came to mind so Kara resigned herself to her fate. “Well... um...” she started hesitantly even as she tried her best to suppress that twisting feeling which was threatening to consume her entirely, “he's... tall. Taller than me by about half a head, for your reference. And... uh... he has short dark brown hair – like, really dark-”

“Is it soft?” Eve asked out of the blue.

Kara's mind stalled immediately. “ _W-What?!_ ”

“I bet it's super soft,” Eve continued as if Kara hadn't said a word. “You should try touching it next time and find out for sure.”

All Kara could do was emit gurgling noises as a flush crept up her neck and spread across her face. “I-I-I'm not going to do _that_!” she finally managed to get out after several unsuccessful attempts to reboot her brain.

“Why not?” Eve asked innocently.

“B-Because! I-It would be... weird, okay?!” she sputtered. The idea of... of... _touching_ Mon-El's hair or running her fingers through- no, wait, why was her mind going there?!

“Girls?”

At the sound of the unexpected third voice in the room, the two girls turned towards the doorway to find Eliza looking in curiously.

“Is everything all right?” Eliza asked as her gaze darted between the two of them. “I thought I heard some shouting so I came up to check in on you.”

“Everything's fine, Mrs Danvers,” Eve answered with a cheery smile on her face as Kara remained silent, torn between feeling relieved at the interruption and embarrassed over the fact that she'd been so loud. “Just got a little overexcited. It's nothing to worry about.”

“All right. If you say so,” Eliza said although she didn't sound fully convinced. “Try not to stay up too late, okay?”

“Okay,” both the girls chorused as they watched Eliza disappear and retreat back downstairs.

Then Eve turned back towards Kara, that inquisitive look of hers back on her face, and Kara realised with great dismay that the moment of reprieve was over. “Now... where were we?”

Things just continued to go downhill from there.

Meanwhile, St'rki continued to sleep, blissfully oblivious to his two-legs' suffering.

 

* * *

 

The moment Kara found herself in the dream world, she created her bed, threw herself on it and buried herself under her blanket.

“Eve says hi,” she mumbled into her pillow as she fought to suppress the blush that had seemingly followed her from the waking world.

“Sorry, come again?” Mon-El's muffled voice asked from somewhere on her left.

Before she could summon up the energy to repeat herself, she felt the bed dip, indicating that he'd sat down. For some reason, knowing that made her blush even more and awkwardly shuffle away from where he was sitting as her heart started to thump erratically. Still, he deserved an answer so she cautiously pulled the blanket down just enough that she could meet his gaze. “I said 'Eve says hi',” she mumbled again, vaguely aware that she was behaving rather irrationally but unable to stop herself from doing so. Desperate to find some kind of a distraction, her mind pointed out that he'd helped create the rest of her room on Krypton for her... except that strangely didn't seem to help at all.

One of his eyebrows arched. “Okay, I feel like I'm missing something here. Mind clearing things up for me?”

“She knows. About you.” She tore her eyes away from his face to watch him kick off his shoes and bring his now bare feet up on the bed. Somehow, that made her feel even more self-conscious. It didn't make any sense; it wasn't as if they'd never occupied the same bed before. “Your real identity, I mean. Not Mike,” she hurriedly continued, eager to keep her mind from going... wherever it might have been going just a few seconds ago. “And about... this.” She gestured around them, belatedly realised her hand was still under the blanket and awkwardly lifted her hand from under it so she could repeat the gesture before pulling her hand back under the blanket.

The other eyebrow made a similar upwards climb. “How did _that_ happen?”

“I... She was asking questions,” she struggled to explain without going into too much detail. Details were the enemy. The less she had to recall about Eve's interrogation – because there really was no other way to refer to that 'conversation' –, the better. “About me being an alien. So I told her. I felt like I owed her a proper explanation.”

“...Okay, I'm still not seeing how that led to her learning about-” he mimicked her earlier gesture, “-this.”

“She realised that almost everything I've told her about 'Mike' couldn't be true in light of the reveal about my true identity,” she continued reluctantly, somewhat aware that she was heading for dangerous territory but unable to figure out a way to avoid it. “So I had to tell her. About you. The real you, that is. And how we... um, communicate.”

Judging by the mischievous grin forming on his face, she had been right to worry. “I see. Out of curiosity, what exactly have you told her about 'the real me'?”

“Just... you know... the basic stuff,” she hedged. _Please don't ask for specifics_ , she begged him mentally.

Unfortunately, her silent plea went unanswered as his grin widened. “Like...?” he drawled as he leaned down a little to all but loom over her.

The shrinking distance between them caused the heat flooding her cheeks to intensify and she shuffled away from him again until she could feel the edge of the bed just behind her. “L-Like... um... where you're really from.”

“...And...?” he pressed, clearly aware that there was a lot more to this than she was willing to share and unwilling to let her get away with it.

It was getting harder and harder to speak, and she couldn't figure out why. Maybe it had something to do with that tight feeling in her chest that was slowly but surely getting more pronounced as the seconds passed. “A-And... A-And... other things... l-like... your appearance.”

If Mon-El's grin got any wider, his face would be in danger of splitting in two. “Now this I _definitely_ want to hear. Exactly how did you describe me?”

The tightness in her chest was joined by that twisting feeling in her stomach – the same one that had manifested when Eve had asked her about this very topic. “W-Why do you care?” she asked, and didn't understand why her voice sounded almost... bitter?

“Come _on_ , Kara.” His grin was replaced by that stupid pout of his that almost always made her stomach do a flip. “I know you didn't tell Eve last time because you weren't supposed to know what I looked like but now that that's no longer an issue, you can't exactly blame me for being curious about what you'd actually say.”

“I-I... I just stuck to the objective facts.” At least, she was pretty sure she had. ...Right?

He let out an exaggerated sigh. “Should have expected nothing less from a Kryptonian even if she's my best friend. Couldn't you have talked me up even just a little?”

“You don't need the help,” she muttered before she even fully realised what she was saying. Then she realised what she'd just said and felt her blush reach a new level of intensity. Where had _that_ come from?

That infuriating grin of his made its return. “Does that mean you think I'm handsome by default?”

 _-DANGER, DANGER.-_ “Th-That is _not_ what I meant!” she immediately protested. “I-I-I meant that Eve thinks that already!” Eve's exact words had actually been “He sounds like a grade-A hottie” – accompanied by, of all things, that dreamy sigh she usually reserved for her latest Hollywood crush – but that was neither here nor there. It was something she had not actually wanted to reveal because it made that twisting feeling in her stomach even worse but this was looking like the lesser of two evils. (She wasn't entirely sure what the other evil in this scenario was supposed to be.)

As expected, her admission caused him to puff out his chest with pride. “Hah! My reputation remains intact if my description alone is enough to win her over. Eve should also be commended for her good taste, of course.” Suddenly, his face lit up. “Hey, how about you learn to draw so that you can draw a picture of me and show it to her? I bet she'd be even more impressed with me if you did that.”

The twisting feeling in her stomach became so unbearable that Kara did the only thing that came to mind... and that was kick Mon-El off the bed. “I'm not going to... to... _help you s-seduce Eve_!” she raged, too irritated at him to care when she heard him yelp in pain upon landing on the hard floor. “Now can we please stop talking about this already?!”

“Okay, okay! Geez!” She watched him pick himself up and gingerly rub the spot on his lower back where she'd kicked him. “That was just a joke, you know.”

Guilt started to gnaw at her and she bit her lip. “I... Sorry,” she mumbled. “I just... Can we just not talk about this any more?”

He shrugged helplessly. “Okay... Well, uh, what do you want to do or talk about instead?”

“Um, how about a quick game of Garata?” That would definitely get her mind off all of this. (The fact that it would put a little bit of distance between them without it being too obvious was just... a little side bonus.)

It worked, for the most part.

She didn't think about Eve's comments or Mon-El's stupid suggestion.

And she most definitely did _not_ think about touching his hair. _At all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVE mentioned that I love writing flustered!Kara, right? (cackles evilly)
> 
> PS: Once again, screw crappy writers who think superheroes don't deserve to be happy with the people they're obviously head over heels in love with but believe it's totally fine to string along their viewers/readers in order to exploit them.


	16. Hospitality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The city of the mad welcomes the last daughter of Krypton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently someone has jinxed me or something because every single time I think I can return to my weekly update schedule, real life decides to gleefully disabuse me of that notion. I suppose I should at least be glad I haven't been reduced to a two-week update schedule...? ...I just jinxed myself further, didn't I? ._.
> 
> But anyway, sorry for the lateness and enjoy the new chapter! Well, technically the second half of what was originally one full chapter that got too long but who cares about details like that, right? >.>

As much as she didn't want it to be so, Kara found herself almost dreading every single one of the sleepovers she had planned with Eve as time passed.

It wasn't as if she didn't have fun at them. That was as far from the truth as possible. After all, she and Eve were best friends who shared a lot of interests and that meant they hardly ever faced any difficulties in deciding things like what movie to watch or which pop album they were going to sing along to each time. None of those matters were ever an issue between them and on the rare occasion that they did disagree with each other about something or other, they were always able to settle it eventually without much fuss.

No, the reason Kara began to approach every date that coincided with a sleepover with a strong sense of foreboding had nothing to do with the activities that took place during said sleepovers... and everything to do with the little things that happened in-between or during said activities.

Which were none other than the random and frequently mortifying questions about Mon-El that Eve would throw her way when she least expected them.

After the first sleepover where Eve had interrogated her about the truth behind 'Mike' and subsequently extracted a general description of Mon-El's appearance from her, Kara had assumed that she had fully sated her friend's curiosity about the matter and that would be it. There would be no more questions about him other than perhaps the occasional query about his culture or an update on her efforts to rescue him.

Oh, how naïve she had been.

Instead of being satisfied, Eve's curiosity seemed to just grow or at least remain constant as if she could never learn enough about the Daxamite prince. To be fair, she also occasionally asked about what Krypton had been like – she was particularly fond of learning more about Kryptonian fashion and their equivalent of the occult – but when it came to Mon-El, the questions were always very... personal. And they caused that twisting feeling in Kara's stomach to manifest more often than not.

A part of her supposed she should be glad that Eve only brought him up when they were alone and in the privacy of either one of their bedrooms since that meant there was zero risk of anyone overhearing their conversation. (Eliza and Ian were thankfully not the type of parents that loved to eavesdrop and trusted them enough to leave them to their own devices, worried investigations into unexpected shouting aside.) However, that was a very thin silver lining in an otherwise very large and very dark cloud as that fact did nothing to neutralise the aforementioned twisting feeling in her stomach or make Eve's interrogations any less embarrassing.

“How well can you draw? I ask because I was thinking that maybe you can draw me a picture of Mon-El sometime so I can know for sure what he looks like. I mean, all I have now is a mental image based on your description of him and I just want to be sure I got it right,” Eve said one time while Kara was in the midst of swapping out Beauty and the Beast for Aladdin during their Disney movie marathon.

Kara had declared with a great deal of vehemence – also a great deal of stuttering but that was _completely irrelevant_ – that her drawing skills were abysmal and besides, she was pretty sure that Eve's mental image of Mon-El was accurate enough since she had provided more than enough details the first time.

She then spent the rest of the night being paranoid about the possibility that Eve and Mon-El had somehow managed to develop a way to communicate with each other since it was too much of a coincidence that they had both come up with the exact same suggestion and the two of them were now conspiring to achieve Rao knew what goal that happened to involve driving her insane.

Mon-El had subsequently gotten blindsided later that night by a pillow to the face and while Kara did eventually apologise for it, she refused to explain what had prompted the attack. His bewilderment, which was completely understandable, made the guilt eating away at her grow but as it was overridden by the twisting feeling in her stomach, she maintained her relative silence.

“On a scale of one to ten with ten being 'you could bounce a quarter off it', how would you rate his ass?” Eve asked another time just as Kara had swallowed a mouthful of soda.

Said mouthful of soda then made its way back up through Kara's nose and the ensuing wheezing, coughing and clean-up proved to be a wonderful excuse to conveniently forget the traumatising question and move on.

Except the question lodged itself quite snugly in the back of her head and made its presence known again that night when she found herself back in the dream world, prompting her to seal herself in her room again.

Like before, Mon-El was forced to cajole her into letting him in but forbidden from actually stepping inside... although this time, it was to ensure that he only faced her and didn't turn around. Not that she was at all interested in staring at his butt, of course. Eve's question had _nothing_ to do with her actions _at all_. (She didn't give an explanation for her behaviour unlike the first time she'd pulled this stunt and he was once again left utterly lost.)

“So have you found out if his hair is soft yet? Or are you still working on a believable excuse to touch it? Because I can totally help you out with that,” Eve offered just as they were preparing to go to sleep during yet another sleepover.

Kara had then very politely explained that she had absolutely no interest in finding out what it felt like to run her fingers through Mon-El's hair... and if she happened to stammer her way through that very polite explanation, well, that was just a coincidence and absolutely did not have a single iota of meaning behind it.

Then she had gone to sleep and greeted Mon-El by dropping a very thick blanket on him the second she laid eyes on him. Unfortunately for her, that turned out to be a grave mistake as when he pulled the blanket off to demand an explanation, she found herself noticing that the action had tousled his hair.

She absolutely had _not_ thought to herself that it – and he by extension – looked adorable.

And when he had run a hand through his hair to tidy it up, she absolutely had _not_ thought about offering to help.

“I don't understand what's been going on with you lately,” he complained, completely oblivious as to where her mind had strayed.

His words pulled her back to reality, for lack of a better word, and she found herself overcome with a mixture of guilt and some other indiscernible feeling. _I don't understand what's been going on with me lately either_ , she wanted to say but kept quiet. It felt like too honest an admission for some reason despite their close friendship – as if admitting that would lead to her admitting something else even if she couldn't for the life of her figure out what that was supposed to be. “I'm sorry,” was all she allowed herself to say instead as she hung her head in shame. “It's just... Eve's just been saying all these... these... _things_ and... and I just... I'm just sorry. I know that's not a proper explanation even though I owe you one and it sounds like I'm just making excuses-”

“Hey.” That one-syllable word and the feel of his finger tipping her chin up so that their gazes could meet again cut her off, and it was suddenly difficult to breathe for some unknown reason. “It's fine. Eve's having a bit of fun teasing you. I get it.” He offered her a mischievous grin. “I mean, I know first-hand how enjoyable that is so I can't say I blame her even if I seem to be the one paying for it in the end.”

His light-hearted teasing eased both the tightness in her chest and the guilt eating away at her enough that she could roll her eyes and swat his hand away before lightly smacking him in the chest in retaliation. “Of course you'd say that.” She paused and let her hand linger where it had landed as the slight smile that had formed on her face dimmed. “Still... I truly am sorry. It's... I'm not being fair to you, doing all this, and I... I hope you can forgive me.”

“I do.” He let out a particularly loud aggrieved sigh, and she got the sense that she should prepare herself for more of his brand of nonsense.

He didn't disappoint.

“I'm used to being unfairly abused by you for things that are entirely not my fault, after all. I suppose I should've expected no less from a Kryptonian-”

She was a lot less restrained when she hit him again and the matter was forgotten in the midst of their little war that somehow went from them throwing projectiles at each other to a haphazard pick-up game of Garata rife with fouls and banned manoeuvres.

At least, until it was time for the next sleepover and consequently another one of Eve's not-so-innocent questions. Then the cycle of real world mortification followed by dream world violence began anew.

 

* * *

 

In light of all this, it was almost a relief when the holidays finally came and it was almost time for the Teschmacher family to have its much-awaited vacation.

Surprisingly – or perhaps not –, Eve actually looked disappointed.

“Eliza's been invited to attend a week-long conference in Gotham as a special guest speaker by an old college friend of hers. I'm going with her but I'll be staying with a family friend instead along with Streaky while she stays at the hotel where the conference is being held. You don't have to worry about me being all alone,” Kara said in the hopes of cheering her friend up.

Eve merely sighed and muttered something about lost progress under her breath much to Kara's confusion.

Then the girl showed up at the Danvers residence with a list and a determined look on her face the day she and her father were leaving to meet her mother in National City.

“Eve, what-” Kara started but was cut off when Eve thrust the piece of paper into her hand.

“A list of places I thought you should visit while you're in Gotham since it's going to be your first time not only being out of Midvale but in a human city,” Eve explained as she watched Kara scan the paper's contents. “Robinson Park is a definite must... provided Poison Ivy's not occupying it again, that is – might want to double-check that before you go – since I hear it's really nice.” She seemed to eye Kara meaningfully. “Popular place even among the locals. Especially couples. I hear a lot of proposals and wedding photo shoots happen there too. You should go there, take in the scenery and show it to Mon-El when you go to sleep.”

“Um... okay?” Kara had actually not bothered to make a lot of plans for her time in Gotham, having decided to leave her itinerary in the hands of her hosts. Bruce would undoubtedly have little time to show her around due to his busy schedule so she was expecting Selina to be her tour guide provided the woman wasn't busy herself. Perhaps she could make use of Eve's list and explore the city herself if neither Bruce nor Selina could spare the time? As long as she remembered to stay out of trouble and avoid trying to play hero, that is; she'd heard about the ban Bruce had placed on Kal-El 'interfering' in his city's affairs and didn't doubt that it applied to her as well regardless of the fact that she didn't have a superhero identity. In fact, she was pretty sure that being a house guest who was restrained to her human identity meant she had even less permission to get involved if that was even possible.

“You'll thank me someday,” Eve said before Kara could express her gratitude for the travel advice. “Hopefully I'll still be alive when that happens,” the girl muttered cryptically to herself as she walked back to where her father had parked his car, leaving an utterly mystified Kryptonian standing in front of the Danvers residence in her wake.

In contrast, Alex's reaction to hearing about the trip was so much more easier to understand.

“ _YOU'RE GOING TO BE STAYING AT WAYNE MANOR?!_ ”

Kara winced and said a silent prayer of thanks to Rao that she had had the foresight to put Alex on speaker when she had initiated the call; her ears would probably be bleeding right now otherwise. There was also the fact that she could practically see an aura of jealousy coming through the device. “It's literally nothing to shout about. And please tell me you didn't just yell that in public or basically anywhere someone might hear you.”

“I'm in my dorm room and Meredith went out earlier to meet her sister so stop worrying already,” Alex replied, and Kara was pretty sure her adoptive sister was rolling her eyes that very second. “But enough about that! Wayne Manor! _Wayne Manor_ , Kara! _Do you know what this means?!_ ”

“...That I'm probably going to get lost if I don't use my X-ray vision to scan the whole place?” Kara hazarded a guess. “I hear it's pretty big, after all.”

“Who cares about that?!” Alex yelled and completely ignored Kara when she muttered that _she_ cared since she had no desire to do something like wind up in the greenhouse when she meant to go to the kitchen. “If you're staying at Wayne Manor, it means _you can go to the Batcave_.”

It was Kara's turn to roll her eyes. “ _Of course_ you'd focus on that part.”

“I mean, the Manor itself is cool all on its own – all that history and whatnot – and I bet the architecture is beautiful,” Alex conceded. “ _But the Batcave, Kara_. Please tell me you're going to ask Bruce to show it to you. Even if you're not interested – and I won't believe you if you say you aren't –, do it for me? Pleasepleaseplease.”

“You're such a fangirl,” Kara said exasperatedly. “And what do you expect me to do? Take pictures? Make a copy of the blueprints? You know all the reasons why that's a _really_ terrible idea, right?”

“Am not! And of course not! I'm not going to ask you to do something _that_ crazy!” Alex protested hotly.

“Oh, so there's an acceptable level of crazy. Good to know,” Kara muttered sarcastically. “What _are_ you asking me to do then?”

“Just... you know... get a full tour...”

“Okay, I can do that...”

“...Give me a detailed description...”

“...Okay...”

“...Maybe bring back a souvenir...”

“How about _no_?”

“Come on, Kara! Maybe a teensy little gadget? Bruce won't mind, right?”

“I'm hanging up now.”

“I'm sure he won't miss something like a... a... Batarang, right? You're my precious little sister and I love you so you can do that much for me, right?”

“ _Goodbye, Alex._ ”

Several minutes later, Kara's phone rang again while she was in the midst of deciding whether she should pack her sound dampening device considering how noisy she had heard cities could be. Distracted as she was, she failed to check who was calling before she answered.

“Alex, I'm not stealing a Batarang for you no matter what you say-” she started.

A distinctly male voice on the other end of the line cleared his throat.

She paused, pulled the phone away to check the caller ID, blushed and slowly pressed the phone against her ear again. “Um. Hi, Bruce.”

“Hello, Kara.” His voice gave nothing away.

“...Is there any chance you could just... forget what I said a few seconds ago?” she asked timidly as she all but dropped herself on her bed, jostling St'rki in the process much to his annoyance, and tried to shrink into herself.

“I heard nothing,” Bruce replied calmly, having clearly decided to take pity on her.

“Thank you. Um. So, uh, why the call?” she asked, eager to change the topic. “Is it something to do with the trip?”

“...Actually, yes.” The seriousness of his voice caught her attention and she sat up straight. “There's something I feel you should know before you come over...”

Kara listened silently as Bruce talked, a cold sensation growing in the pit of her stomach with every word that came through the line. Then he finished his explanation and for a long while there was only silence as she tried to sort through the whirlwind of thoughts that her mind had become.

“Kara?”

The sound of her name dragged her back to reality. “Um. Yeah, I'm still here. Sorry.”

“You don't have to apologise,” he told her gently. “I know it's a lot to process especially for you considering what you've been through. If it makes you uncomfortable, I could move it-”

“No. No, that's not necessary,” she was quick to cut him off and took a moment to draw a fortifying breath before she continued. “I can manage, I promise. Thank you for telling me. Just... Can I ask for a small favour?”

“Of course,” he agreed readily. “What is it?”

 _You can do it, Kara._ “Can... Can I see it? When I come over.”

“...Are you sure?” he asked carefully.

“Yes.” She closed her eyes and did her best to stay strong. “I... I need to.”

“...All right,” he conceded. “I'll make the necessary arrangements.” A ringing in the background distracted both of them. “I apologise, I have to take this call. I'll see you when you arrive. Until then, goodbye.”

“I understand. Bye, Bruce,” she said and waited until he hung up before she put down the phone and let herself get lost in her own thoughts once again.

 

* * *

 

“Are you nervous about the trip?”

Kara stopped mid-sentence, blinked and stared at Mon-El in confusion. “What?”

He cocked his head to the side as a wry grin twisted his lips and the blue-grey energy in her head seemed to poke her mind in a chastising manner. “You've been talking about all the things you're looking forward to seeing and doing while you're in Gotham but there's something you're hesitant about. What is it?”

“I...” For a brief moment, she seriously contemplated telling him what Bruce had told her – it _was_ , after all, what was actually weighing on her mind – but then decided against it. Knowing him, he would probably not react very well to it, to say the least, and she didn't need the additional pressure just before the trip. “Can you ask me again afterwards? While I'm there, I mean. I don't really want to talk about it right now but I promise I'll tell you everything then.”

His brow furrowed and the blue-grey energy coiled warily but she could tell the exact moment he made peace with her request. “All right. Whenever you're ready to tell me.”

“Thank you.” She squeezed his hand in gratitude and bumped his shoulder with hers for good measure. “Now where was I? Oh, right. Eve recommended a few places I should visit if I have time to go sightseeing. I looked them up and I have to admit that they look really nice but I can't figure out why she insisted on these particular places. Or why she thought they were so noteworthy I should recreate them here for you.”

He let out a thoughtful hum. “Well, she probably just wants to make sure that you don't get bored while you're there. On that note, I suppose I should be grateful that she's thinking about me as well?”

It was at that point in the conversation that Kara regretted bringing the matter up due in no small part to the now all-too-familiar twisting feeling that was manifesting in her stomach so she hurriedly changed the subject and Mon-El thankfully let her get away with it.

 

* * *

 

Before she knew it, the day of the trip had arrived and Kara found herself being picked up at Eliza's hotel by a distinguished British man who was everything and nothing like what she had imagined when she had first been told about Bruce's legendary butler.

He insisted that she call him Alfred instead of Mr Pennyworth, for one thing, yet refused to call her anything but Ms Danvers. His voice and at times even his mannerisms seemed rather coarse but there was nothing remotely mean about anything he said or did. (For example, the sight of St'rki in his cat carrier had prompted grumblings about more broken vases and scratched furniture but he had handled the carrier with the utmost care regardless.) Even though he was fully aware of her true identity and thus her powers, he made it clear that she was to call on him if she needed anything and gruffly rebuffed any offers on her part to handle things by herself.

“You are Master Bruce's guest,” he said simply but firmly without taking his eyes off the road as Wayne Manor came into view, and apparently that was all the reason that was needed.

Funnily enough, she found herself thinking that they would get along just fine despite or because of all that.

Similarly, Wayne Manor both lived up to and defied her expectations and while she had most definitely visited some impressive buildings herself or through Mon-El's constructs, she still found herself in awe of the Wayne family estate. Determined to learn the layout to avoid getting lost during her stay and eager to hear stories about the place at the same time, she readily agreed when Alfred offered to give her a tour once she had unpacked her things after having showed her to her room.

“Behave yourself, okay?” she told St'rki when she let him out of his carrier. “I don't want to hear that you've shredded some priceless first edition book to ribbons or anything like that while no one was looking.”

Her fears were immediately allayed when a beautiful Siamese cat appeared seemingly out of thin air – Selina's pet Isis, no doubt – and led St'rki out of the room to Rao knew where. Apparently even her cat was getting his own tour of the place and she had no idea what to make of it. _At least this means he won't get into trouble_ , she thought to herself as she went off to find Alfred. _I hope._

Bruce found them in the kitchen roughly an hour later going through the ground rules again over steaming cups of tea and slices of blueberry cheesecake. “Good, you've made yourself at home,” he said as he accepted his own beverage of choice – coffee, judging by the smell – from Alfred and sat down next to Kara. “Welcome to Wayne Manor, Kara. I apologise once again for not being able to pick you up myself; there was a shareholders meeting and my attendance was... mandatory.”

She shook her head. “It's okay. I know you hardly have any free time after all. I'm just glad you're even willing to let me stay in the first place.”

“You're welcome here anytime,” he dismissed her comment smoothly as he loosened his tie with his free hand. “Has Alfred shown you around? If not, I'd be more than happy to give you the tour.”

“Oi! Of course I gave her the tour! I won't have you slandering me in front of the young miss and giving her the impression that I would slack off on my duties especially when they involve tending to a guest!” Alfred growled before Kara could say a word although she could clearly tell there was no real fire to his words.

“I would never dream of it, Alfred,” Bruce replied calmly as he hid his face behind his cup and Kara had to stifle a giggle at the exchange.

“Good.” Alfred straightened his vest with a huff. “Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like the both of you to get out of my kitchen – yes, _my_ kitchen, Master Bruce – so that I can start preparing dinner. If the young miss' appetite is anything like Master Clark's, I'm going to need the extra time. Now shoo!”

“Is it normal for you to get chased out of parts of your own house?” Kara asked with a grin as they walked out of the kitchen.

“Yes, actually,” he sighed. “When she first moved in – officially, that is –, Selina actually claimed no less than two rooms for herself and banned me from going inside. To this day I have no idea what she did with the space.”

“For all you know, she did that just to mess with you.” Knowing Selina, it was not that much of a stretch to imagine.

“Probably.” His half-smile vanished and was replaced by a grim look. “Kara, about your request...”

The reminder caused her own grin to fade and she squared her shoulders in an attempt to seem braver than she actually felt. “Can we... Can we do it now? I kind of want to get it over with.”

For a brief moment, it seemed as if he was going to try and dissuade her but then thought better of it. “All right,” he conceded. “I want you to be comfortable during your stay here, after all. We should head to the study... and I suppose I'll give the other tour Alfred probably didn't give you.”

Nothing else was said for some time as she followed Bruce to the study where he fiddled with a seemingly broken grandfather clock which then swung open to reveal a hidden doorway. A voice at the back of her mind that sounded suspiciously like Mon-El made a quip about bats not liking light as they descended down a steep flight of stone steps but she shushed it and continued walking until they reached yet another door.

She knew what lay beyond before Bruce opened it, yet knowing did nothing to prepare her for the actual sight of the Batcave.

“It's over here.” Bruce's voice jolted her out of her blatant gawking at the sight of the cave as well as all his gear and vehicles, her original purpose for coming here temporarily forgotten, and she hoped she wasn't blushing too obviously as she continued to follow him deeper into the cave.

The knowledge of what she was about to come face-to-face with, however, ensured that the sombre mood from earlier reasserted itself as she stood in front of a table with a box covered by a nondescript cloth.

“The box is made of transparent radiation shielding material. You'll be able to see what's inside without it affecting you,” he explained as he placed a hand over the cloth-covered box.

She swallowed thickly and quietly wished Mon-El was physically with her at that very moment if only so she could draw on the sense of comfort and security his presence always brought her. “Understood.”

“You don't have to do this,” Bruce told her again, making it clear to her that she could still back out if she wanted to.

“That's the thing,” she murmured. “I do. Please, Bruce.”

He sighed but said nothing more and merely lifted the cloth.

The sickly green glow made her stomach churn but she forced herself to look even as she repeatedly reminded herself that whatever she was feeling right now was all in her head. (The memory of that night resurfaced again, and she hugged herself as the sound of that man's sneering voice filled her head once more and sent chills running down her spine.) “Okay,” she whispered after a while, feeling somewhat proud at how little her voice had wavered when she'd spoken. “I've... I'm done. Thank you.”

“You're welcome,” Bruce replied neutrally as he covered the box once again.

“You'll keep it safe?” she blurted out, almost hating herself for even asking the question in the first place.

“Of course.” Judging by Bruce's serious expression, he had not taken offence. “Clark wouldn't have entrusted me with it and I wouldn't have accepted otherwise.”

She swallowed with great difficulty as she struggled to make peace with the matter. “...Okay. I trust you.”

He offered her a slight smile in response. “Thank you. I'll show you the way out and let you rest in your room while I put it back in the vault; there's no need for you to stay for that part.”

She nodded silently, unable to find the words to properly express her gratitude for how much consideration he was showing her, and followed him back out to the main area of the cave.

“Before I forget, here.” He made a small detour to one of the shelves housing his gear, pulled something out, returned to her side and pressed it into her open palm.

It was a Batarang.

“You can tell Alex you stole it if you like,” he suggested calmly but there was no mistaking the spark of bemusement in his eyes.

Her dark mood from earlier completely forgotten, Kara was saved from a potential death brought about by extreme mortification when none other than Selina showed up at the entrance they had come through earlier. “Knew I'd find the two of you down here,” she said smugly. “Hi, Kara. Bruce finished showing off his man-cave to you already?”

“For the last time, Selina, it's called the Batcave,” he grumbled rather sulkily. “And no, I haven't given her the full tour.”

Selina grinned. “Too bad; I'm booking her right now. Hey Kara, we've got a few hours before dinnertime so how about we get started on those safe-cracking lessons I promised you during my last visit?”

“Selina...”

“And tomorrow, I'll teach you how to case a museum so that you can break into it without being detected.”

“ _Selina..._ ”

Kara watched the exchange silently and wondered how she, being the literal alien, could possibly be the most normal person in the room.

 

* * *

 

The Batsignal lit up the evening sky just as they were finishing up a fantastic dinner courtesy of Alfred, and in the blink of an eye all three adults stood up in unison and began moving with purpose.

“Dessert?” Alfred asked as he began cleaning up while Bruce and Selina headed for the study.

“Yes please, Alfred. I have a feeling we're going to need it,” Selina answered before she disappeared through the doorway.

“I'd like to help,” Kara blurted out as she too got out of her seat, suddenly desperate to keep herself busy.

“Ms Danvers-” Alfred started as he turned to face her but paused when he saw the look on her face. “All right,” he sighed. “Come on then. You can help me wash the dishes.”

“Thank you,” she whispered gratefully as she followed the butler to the kitchen, and the two of them proceeded to clean up the remnants of dinner in relative silence.

That is, until Kara found the courage to give voice to the question that had been weighing on her since the moment she'd noticed the Batsignal. “Alfred, can I ask you a question?”

He didn't even look up from his task of wiping the dishes dry. “What is it?”

“I...” She found herself faltering at his brusque manner but drew a fortifying breath and pushed forward. “I just wanted to know... How do you do it?”

This time, he chanced a glance at her. “Do what exactly?”

It was suddenly difficult to find the right words. “Be here, I guess,” she finally said as she carefully placed the plate he handed her on the growing stack next to her. “While Bruce and Selina are... out there.”

There was the sound of a weary sigh before silence descended upon them once again, interrupted only by the sound of the last of the cutlery being put away, and it stretched on for so long that she began to wonder if he intended to answer her at all. “You learn,” he finally said, his voice gruffer than usual. “It takes time, but you learn.”

“...But it doesn't get easier, does it?” she asked after another long pause.

“...No, it doesn't,” he replied eventually.

“I envy you.” She could almost feel his surprised gaze on her but she avoided looking at him for fear of losing whatever was left of her courage. “I don't think I could do it.”

Sitting on the sidelines when she knew she could do something to help... when the people she cared about were in danger that very second... It was hard enough to do it when she didn't even live in the same city. Being so close and yet helpless to do anything every single day just like right now... It was torture.

“It helps,” Alfred's voice drew her out of her dark thoughts, “when you have some way that you can help.”

She looked up, but it was his turn to refuse to meet her gaze. “What do you mean?”

“I'll have you know I don't just sit around waiting for them to get themselves in trouble,” he chastised her in that rough voice of his although it was clear that there was no real anger behind his words. “Who do you think helps maintain their gear, hmm? Patches them up when they get hurt? Forces them to eat and sleep when they need it? It's a thankless job, let me tell you.”

A soft laugh escaped her at that. “Knowing Bruce in particular, I can totally believe that.”

“So.” This time, their gazes did meet. “That's how I manage. As for you... well. You'll find your own way someday.”

She managed to give him a smile despite the sombre topic. “Thanks, Alfred.”

The moment was interrupted by a ringing sound that seemed to echo throughout the manor. “It would seem that Master Bruce and Ms Kyle are on their way back from their little excursion,” he said by way of an explanation as he stared up at the clock before he turned back to look at her. “Would you be so kind as to help me prepare dessert, Ms Danvers?”

Her smile brightened. “I'd be happy to.”

 

* * *

 

Upon her arrival in the dream world, Kara immediately plopped herself down next to Mon-El who seemed to be in the midst of manipulating a miniature version of a tense fight between Vell Or and some other figure she didn't recognise. “Hey.”

“Hey.” The blue-grey energy slipped into her head and seemed to scan her general state of mind the moment she intertwined their hands and initiated their mental connection. “How was your first day in Gotham?”

“Eventful,” she answered simply as she leaned against him and watched as the miniature Vell Or gained the upper hand when he disarmed his opponent and knocked him flat on his feet before both figures faded away.

“How descriptive,” he commented dryly and earned himself a poke in the ribs. “Ow. Will there ever be a visit where you _don't_ physically abuse me in some way?”

A small smile twisted her lips. “Maybe if you stopped annoying me every time I come back here.”

“But it's _so fun_ ,” he whined as he leaned in and gave her his signature puppy dog eyes. “Are you really so cruel that you'd deny me the best source of amusement I have available to me?”

She did her best to ignore the weird somersault her stomach performed at his close proximity although banishing the blush that had suddenly flooded her cheeks seemed to be beyond her capabilities. “When it's at my expense, _yes_. Keep at it and I won't give you the tour of Wayne Manor.”

“Fine,” he pouted but she paid him no heed; the blue-grey energy glowing with mischief in her head gave him away. “Let's see what passes for a wealthy human's house.”

“Wait.” Her sudden hesitation clearly took him by surprise because he turned to look at her in confusion. “Before we start the tour, there's something I should probably tell you.”

“What is it?” he asked curiously before a look of understanding crossed his face. “Does this have something to do with that thing you were hesitant about before the trip? The one you said you wouldn't tell me about until after you'd arrived at Wayne Manor?”

Trust him to remember. “Yes. Um, before I tell you what it is, can you promise me that you won't overreact?”

His brow creased and the blue-grey energy in her head tensed, prompting her to try and soothe it without much success. “I'm officially already worried.”

“I promise there's nothing to worry about. Now can _you_ promise not to overreact?”

“...Okay...”

She took a deep breath. “Bruce has Kryptonite.”

The blue-grey energy in her head flared, for lack of a better word, and his hand tightened almost painfully around hers. “ _HE WHAT?!_ ”

Kara pressed her free hand against his chest even as she tried and failed to calm him down through their link. “Mon-El, you promised.”

He stared incredulously at her. “ _That was before you told me you were staying in the same place as the one thing on the entire planet that can kill you just by being in the same room as you!_ ”

“It's nothing to worry about-”

“ _'Nothing to worry about'?!_ ”

“ _Mon-El._ ” She pressed down harder on his chest and tried to bind the blue-grey energy with her own thoughts. “ _Calm. Down._ Let me speak.”

“ _Kara-_ ”

She all but glared at him. “ _Mon-El._ ”

He opened his mouth again to argue, stopped when her glare intensified and snapped his mouth shut with an audible 'click'. “All right,” he finally bit out after taking a deep breath but the muscles in his jaw remained taut.

“Thank you.” She drew a deep breath of her own to fortify herself and buy some time as she got her own thoughts in order. “As I was saying, Bruce has Kryptonite. _But._ Kal-El gave it to him and he was considerate enough to tell me about it before I came to stay at Wayne Manor so don't hold it against him.”

He blinked. And blinked again. “Why in Rao's name would your idiot cousin _give_ Bruce Kryptonite?”

“In case of emergencies,” she explained patiently, willing to allow the insult to slide this time since he hadn't yelled that question. “Apparently there was an incident last year that resulted in Kal-El getting affected by a mind control device of some kind and Bruce had a hard time trying to stop him while he was under its influence. Bruce succeeded eventually, of course, but after that they both agreed that Bruce should have at least a bit of Kryptonite on hand in case something like that ever happened again. It's stored away in a very secure part of the Batcave and I trust Bruce to keep it safe. So please. Stop worrying.”

“But Kara-” he protested.

“You trust me, right?” she cut him off.

“...Yes...” he answered reluctantly, having clearly guessed where she was going with this.

“Then trust me when I say that Bruce can be trusted. You don't have to worry about me at all.”

“I'd have an easier time believing you if we were talking about literally anything besides Kryptonite,” he said with an aggrieved look.

“Mon-El, _please_ ,” she begged him as she squeezed his hand.

The blue and grey in his eyes roiled like a storm as did the blue-grey energy in her head but eventually they both calmed down a little as he squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine,” he breathed out with great difficulty. “I'll trust your judgement.”

She sighed in relief and hugged him. “Thank you. Are we okay?”

“As much as we can be in this situation,” he sighed as he hugged her back. “I'll still only be completely at ease when you're back in Midvale where there's no Kryptonite anywhere near you though.”

“I suppose that's fair,” she conceded as she pulled away and regarded him carefully. “Now can we start the tour? I'm actually excited to show you the Manor.”

That earned her a raised eyebrow. “I have trouble believing it's actually that interesting so now I'm genuinely curious. Lead the way.”

Relieved that the discussion had gone better than she had originally feared, Kara wasted no time in recreating Wayne Manor in front of them and pulling him towards the front door.

“Okay, it doesn't look half bad,” he commented.

“Really? That's all you can say?”

“My opinion of it would be a lot more positive if it didn't literally house Kryptonite.”

“If I show you the Batcave, will you stop bringing that up?”

“I'm not Alex. That bribe won't work on me.”

“What will it take then?”

“You admitting that being susceptible to a mind control device proves once and for all that your cousin's an idiot.”

She sent a pillow flying at his face without even sparing him a backwards glance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologise to any of my British readers especially if you're from whichever specific part of England Sean Pertwee (the actor playing Alfred in Gotham) is from if his dialogue seems off because I'm not too familiar with his speech patterns and I think it might have shown. I tried my best but... yeah. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter and look, one last chapter before this arc is officially over! Are you excited? Sad? Worried? Let me know!


	17. Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All things in due time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Um, sorry for the late update again. This one was a twofer: real life got in the way AND this was a long one. Plus, there were quite a few details I had to triple-check because I try to be as accurate as possible about everything when I write and... well, this chapter had a lot of details here and there.
> 
> Anyway, that's enough with the excuses. I'm sure I left quite a few of you anxious and/or excited about what would happen in this chapter so here I am to fix that! ...Or possibly make it worse. Well. There's a bit of everything for everyone so I suppose I'll find out how you feel if/when you leave your comment at the end... >.>

“So... will you?”

Kara gawked at the guy standing in front of her, distantly aware that everyone within earshot was either stealing glances or blatantly staring at them. A few seconds passed before she realised she didn't even know his name – had he introduced himself and she'd just forgotten it in her shock? – and her mouth opened and closed soundlessly as she struggled to formulate a response.

“Say something,” Eve hissed from beside her as the girl subtly kicked her under the cafeteria table.

“Um... uh...” Kara mentally scrambled for the right thing to say and failed miserably so she settled on her best available option... which was stall. “Can I... uh... Can I give you an answer tomorrow?”

The hopeful smile on the guy's face dimmed – Rao, what was his name again? – and he shuffled his feet nervously. “Uh. Okay. I guess I'll... uh... I'll ask you again tomorrow then?”

“Um. Yeah. Sure.” Kara didn't need her enhanced hearing to pick up the sounds of everyone who had been watching their little 'conversation' sniggering at them. It bothered her more than she liked – she still wasn't used to being the centre of attention despite having endured that experience throughout her first few months of school and the instances where Belinda had decided to pick on her – but she mostly felt bad for the guy whose name she still couldn't remember. Especially when his friends began laughing at him outright as he trudged forlornly back to their table.

“That was actually kind of cruel,” Eve commented blandly, pausing only to take a sip of her water before continuing. “The least you could have done was give him a definitive answer immediately, not drag the issue out and make him go to sleep tonight wondering what you'll say tomorrow.”

“What was I supposed to say?” Kara asked helplessly, her lunch completely forgotten for the moment. “I wasn't expecting... _that_! And-” she leaned in to whisper the rest of her sentence in a panicked voice, “-I don't even know what his name is!”

Eve stared at her blankly. “All he did was ask you if you wanted to be his date to the prom. It's not like he was demanding that you help him rob a bank or something crazy like that. And his name is Scott. Scott Klein. How do you not know who he is?” Then the girl appeared to catch herself because she smacked herself on the forehead. “Of _course_ you wouldn't know who he is. Why did I expect you to notice _any_ guy in this school? No, scratch that; why did I expect you to notice any guy on this _planet_?”

Kara frowned. “What's _that_ supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all,” Eve sighed somewhat wearily as she closed her eyes and bowed her head in defeat. Then her eyes snapped back open as a thought seemed to occur to her and she looked up at Kara with a mysterious expression on her face. “So are you going to say yes tomorrow?”

Having completely failed to anticipate that question because her mind was still stuck on the previous one, Kara choked on air. “W-What?”

“I mean, you're going to have to give Scott an answer either way,” Eve pointed out. “Why not say yes? He's actually a pretty nice guy and you were planning on going anyway, after all. If you go with a date, you'll be able to enjoy the full prom experience.”

“B-But I...” Kara faltered as she tried and failed to think of a valid reason to refuse. Some small part of her recoiled at the idea even though she couldn't for the life of her figure out why.

“Come on. Give it some serious thought,” Eve wheedled her. “I overheard chatter saying that Andrew from Spanish class is planning to ask me and I'll probably say yes when he finally works up the courage so I'd be pretty bummed out if my best friend didn't also have a date to the prom.” Her gaze suddenly seemed to sharpen. “Unless of course there's someone else you wanted to go to the prom with?”

For some unfathomable reason, Mon-El's face crystallised in her mind and Kara found herself utterly confused. Why would she even think of him out of the blue? ...Well, she _had_ been worried about how late she was going to be in returning to the Danvers residence and consequently the dream world because of the prom so maybe that was it... except that didn't feel quite right either. What could it be then?

“So?”

Eve's one-syllable question pulled her out of her strange thoughts and Kara shook her head in an effort to get rid of them. “Um...” Once again, no reasonable excuse came to mind no matter how hard she tried so she gave up and said the only thing she could think up. “I suppose there's nothing wrong with going with Scott. I mean, it's like you said; this way, we'll both have dates, right?”

Another weary-sounding sigh escaped Eve, and Kara got the sense that she had not given the answer her friend had been looking for. “Just when I think I'm making a breakthrough...” she muttered cryptically to herself before going back to eating her lunch without offering any explanation for her statement.

 

* * *

 

“Scott Klein asked me to be his date to the prom.”

Mon-El looked up at her, as did every single unit of his miniature construct army of Murlicks which had paused in the middle of performing their race's rather adorable war dance. “Who's Scott Klein?” he asked curiously.

“A guy at school.” Kara searched his face for a reaction even though she wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for. “He came up to me during lunch and... well, asked me.”

He frowned. “You don't sound very excited. The exact opposite, in fact. Is there something more to this than just an invitation?”

“I... Well, no... but...” she trailed off uncertainly. Where was she going with this? What exactly was she trying to achieve? She couldn't figure out where her own thoughts were going and it was starting to really get to her.

“Hey.” She looked up to find that his frown had deepened. “What's wrong? Is he a jerk or something? Is that why you don't want to go with him? Because you can just refuse if that's the case, right? At least, I'm assuming that it's not compulsory for you to say yes.”

She shook her head. “No. He seems like a nice guy. At least, I'm pretty sure Eve wouldn't have suggested that I say yes otherwise. And yes, I don't have to accept.”

The frown remained on his face. “So... what's the problem then?”

 _I don't know_ , she wanted to say. It was the truth; she really didn't. But something made her hold her tongue. “Are you okay with that?” she blurted out instead to her own surprise. Where had _that_ come from?

“...Yes? ...Do you... want me to... _not_ be okay with it?” he asked slowly, and it was clear by both his expression and his voice that her question had completely blindsided him.

 _Yes. No. I don't know._ “It's just...” She fidgeted where she stood and looked down to stare at her feet, finding herself glad for some unknown reason that they weren't touching and he therefore couldn't see her thoughts at that very moment. “I'll probably be a bit late coming back. To the house, I mean. And here, of course.” She glanced up again to meet his still befuddled gaze. “Are you... Will you be okay?”

His frown eased and was replaced by that familiar reassuring smile of his although this time there was a touch of fond exasperation to it. “You already know I can't tell if you spend a couple of extra hours awake before returning here. I'll be fine. Besides,” he cocked his head to the side in a way that made her think of a puppy, “you were already going to go with Eve, right? Wouldn't you also have come back late even if you weren't going with this Skunk guy?”

“It's Scott,” she corrected him automatically before hesitating as her brain tried to figure out how to respond to his incredibly valid question. “It's just... I feel like I'm probably going to end up staying there longer and subsequently coming back later if I go with someone instead of just going by myself. I mean, I was already kind of planning to suggest to Eve that we leave a little earlier before... well, this issue came up since I didn't see any reason to stay until the end. A-And I... I guess I don't want you to think that I want to spend time with some guy I didn't even know before today more than I do with... well, you.” Was she rambling? Making excuses? What was she even trying to get at by saying all this?

“Huh.” His confused frown from earlier made its return. “For some reason, I feel like we've had this conversation before. Or at least one similar to it.” He shook his head as if to clear it of the stray observation before offering her another reassuring smile. “Not that that's relevant. In any case, you have nothing to worry about. Go ahead and have fun. I won't mind.” As if to reinforce his words, his miniature army of Murlicks stomped around on their little hoofed feet and changed their formation to form the words 'HAVE FUN' in Daxamite on the small patch of flat ground on which they had been performing their war dance.

It was a cute sight, but Kara found herself unable to fully appreciate it. “Yeah. Fun.”

“Wait.” A thought seemed to occur to him and suddenly he was grinning at her. “Is all this because you're trying to figure out if he likes you?”

She balked. “ _W-What? No-_ ”

“He probably does, you know,” Mon-El teased her. “I can't imagine any other reason why a guy would just come up to you and ask if you'll attend a social event – one I've been led to believe is a rather important one at that by human school standards at least – with him without any prompting. And if you're actually giving this so much thought, is it possible that you might be starting to like him too?”

“I barely know him!” she protested hotly, finding herself strangely uneasy at the unexpected direction their conversation had taken.

He was undaunted. “Sounds like this is your chance to fix that. He clearly wants to, at least.” His grin somehow managed to become even more impish. “You know, if you expect some kissing at the very least to happen, my offer to give you some useful tips for controlling your super-strength still stands-”

The rest of his 'suggestion' was cut off when she buried him under a pile of pillows. “ _SHUT UP, MON-EL!_ ”

 

* * *

 

She said yes when Scott asked her again the next day just like he'd promised and couldn't for the life of her figure out why it was such a struggle to smile back when he started beaming at her.

It didn't help that Eve's reaction to the whole thing was equally mystifying. “I can't tell if this is a step backwards or some twisted kind of progress,” the girl sighed to herself.

“Would you please stop talking in riddles?” Kara begged. “I'm lost enough as it is.”

All that earned her was a flat look. “I'll stop when you finally figure things out for yourself,” Eve replied somewhat crossly. “I'm not going to spell it out for you because God knows that will probably have the exact opposite effect. So the answer is no. You're just going to have to apply that genius alien brain of yours to the matter until you finally get it.” Her expression morphed into one of grim determination. “But that's an issue for another time. Now that this is the path we're going to be taking, we're going to go all out. That means getting coordinated outfits, sorting out who picks up who, whether we're going to meet up before or at the prom itself-”

Kara stared blankly at her friend. “Do we really need to put _that_ much effort into this? I mean, it's just the prom.”

“It is _not_ 'just the prom', Kara Danvers!” Eve declared rather forcefully as she jabbed a finger in Kara's face. “We only get to experience one proper prom our entire lives and I'm going to make sure we have the maximum amount of fun if it's the last thing I do!”

Considering how much planning was needed to achieve this fabled 'maximum amount of fun', Kara found herself wondering if it was really worth the effort. In fact, a part of her was starting to feel like she didn't want to go at all... although she had a strong suspicion that Eve wasn't going to let her escape especially at this juncture. It didn't happen all that often due to her rather carefree approach to life but the girl was a force to be reckoned with when she had her mind set on something.

Alex proved to be of little help as well, if her “You don't get to bully me into going to my prom which, if you'll remember, I did _not_ enjoy at all – thanks so much for that – and then skip out on your own” text message was anything to go by.

“Kara, would you mind telling me why Alex called me today to tell me that I have to make sure that you go to your prom?” Eliza asked her when she came home from school the next day. “I thought you said you were already going with Eve?”

That had forced her to come up with a somewhat half-truthful explanation for Alex's stupid 'request' even as she began quietly plotting a way to get back at her adoptive sister regardless of how far away she was.

In light of all this prom insanity, it was actually a great relief when she and Eve received their acceptance letters and found to their excitement that they had both been accepted to National City University with the added bonus of Kara learning that she had managed to secure a scholarship as well. Fortunately for her, Eve considered this to be a good enough excuse to take a break from their prom-planning – the girl was really taking it _way_ too seriously – and the two girls celebrated once with their parents and once among themselves.

Unfortunately for her, this 'distraction' also came with its own massive amount of planning which included but was not limited to finding a place to live during her time there. The university's dormitory seemed like the most convenient and financially sound option but she found herself a little uncomfortable with the idea of living in such close proximity with so many people... and strangers at that.

Perhaps she'd been somewhat pampered all this while, being able to live in relative seclusion thanks to the fact that Midvale was a small town and the Danvers residence was located on its outskirts. Her trip to Gotham had confirmed Eve's warning about human cities being noisy places and she had found herself immensely grateful for Bruce's invitation as Wayne Manor was even more secluded in comparison to Eliza's house and she had been able to go to sleep in peace every night of her stay there.

In contrast, National City University was relatively close to the city centre, making it both convenient and inconvenient at the same time for different reasons. Her research had also revealed that the dorm rooms were rather small – even the ones meant for two people – and devoid of their own individual bathrooms. Instead, there were communal bathrooms... and she really didn't know how she was supposed to feel about that. However, there was nothing she could actually do about it and she determined that it was just something else she was going to have to acclimatise herself to as part of her life on Earth.

Eve must have anticipated this issue and spoken to her father about it because roughly a week after their letters arrived, Ian came over and suggested to Eliza that the two of them rent an off-campus place for both their children to share.

“It's a good idea on many levels,” Ian said as he accepted the cup of coffee Eliza offered him. “Our girls will be comfortable – definitely a lot more than they will be in the university dorm anyway – so they'll be able to do whatever they want in peace. This way, they'll also get to stay together like they want without having to worry about the availability of two-student dorm rooms in the same resident hall. Plus, it'll be good for them to learn how to take care of their own place – you know, prepare them for when they finish their studies and have a home of their own.”

“It _does_ sound like a good idea but... I don't know...” Eliza trailed off dubiously. Meanwhile, Kara kept quiet, fully aware that this was an adult conversation and she was merely a spectator even though it was technically her living arrangements that were being discussed.

“A friend of mine owns a few student accommodation properties in the area and he's willing to hold one for me until I give him an answer which I don't have to do until about a month before the semester starts,” Ian continued. “If it's money you're worried about, please don't; we can discuss the exact percentage later but I've talked to my wife about it and we're perfectly willing to pay more than half the rent.”

Both Eliza and Kara started at that. “Ian, I couldn't possibly-”

“Eliza, please,” Ian all but begged her. “Your daughter saved our daughter's life. That's something for which Valerie and I will forever be grateful. It's the least we can do to even begin repaying that debt. Please... let us do that much.”

“I... Oh, all right,” Eliza finally caved, and Kara resisted the urge to cheer out loud. “But please, Ian; there's no need for you to pay more than your fair share. I have enough money to be able to afford to pay half of the rent.”

Sensing that a very long argument about financial burdens was imminent, Kara decided to speak up. “Um... can I be excused now?”

Eliza waved her off and Kara didn't waste another second. “You have two daughters, Eliza. I only have one,” she heard Ian argue as she all but ran upstairs. “Eve told me that Alex is on a scholarship and Kara's gotten one as well but you still have to cover quite a bit of their expenses...” The rest of the discussion was tuned out in favour of focusing on the phone call she made to Eve and the both of them squealed for a good long while before they began animatedly discussing their own plans for their imminent future as roommates.

Both Eliza and Ian eventually reached an agreement about how the rent would be split and all four of them pored over the documents that Ian's friend sent over before finally settling on an apartment that was both priced reasonably and comfortable enough without being too large. Once that was done, they moved on and began sorting out all the other bothersome details involved with the move.

After what felt like an endless amount of two different types of planning, the night of the prom finally arrived and Kara found herself standing in a modest cornflower blue dress next to the snack table with a cup of spiked punch in her hand and watching Eve dance with Andrew before she knew it. She was in the midst of wondering if she should try and go after the culprit as a way to stave off the urge to quietly disappear and head home – Eve would probably murder her if she did that but at this point she was sure that the boredom was going to kill her first – when Scott reappeared with a nervous smile etched on his face.

“So... uh, now that we've both eaten something, would you... uh, would you like to dance?” he asked her, and it was clear from the shakiness of his voice that the act of asking that simple question had taken every ounce of courage present in his body.

If she was being entirely honest with herself, she didn't want to but as she could practically feel Eve's burning gaze on her that very moment – the girl could be really scary at times –, she offered him a weak smile and a nod. “Sure,” she said and let him lead her by the hand to the dance floor.

But dancing with Scott proved to do little to help her stop wishing she was somewhere else with someone else – a very specific somewhere else and someone else – and with every second that passed she found herself comparing him to Mon-El for some reason. He wasn't as tall, his shoulders weren't as broad, their hands didn't quite fit together... the list went on. And she couldn't for the life of her figure out why she was even comparing them in the first place.

With her mind mired as it was in these confusing thoughts, her concentration slipped and her foot, following a tune from a distant yet cherished memory instead of the music around her, moved left instead of right...

...and landed on Scott's foot instead of the dance floor.

She was summarily pulled out of her thoughts by his pained scream and winced when she realised what had just happened.

_Oops._

 

* * *

 

The greeting Mon-El had intended to give Kara the moment she appeared in the dream world died on his lips when her bed materialised almost immediately afterwards and he then watched her throw herself on it before creating a blanket that covered her from head to toe.

 _That's... probably not a good sign_ , he thought to himself as he took in the sight of the unmoving lump on the bed. So much for his original plan to tease her about how her night with that Scott guy had gone because it had clearly _not_ ended on a positive note. The only question was what had happened. Well, that and how he was going to fix it. Sighing, he went over to sit down on the bed next to the blanket-covered lump, making sure to create the rest of her room for her along the way.

“So...” he started slowly, and was relieved when the lump didn't shuffle away from him, “how was the prom?”

“Mmph.”

...Well. At least she hadn't just ignored him outright. Somewhat encouraged by that, he decided to push his luck a little. “I'm sorry, I don't know that language.”

The blanket was abruptly pulled away just enough to reveal first a crown of blonde hair and then a pair of shimmering blue eyes. “I said 'Fine',” came the muffled and somewhat... embarrassed?... response. Probably embarrassed; she did look a little flushed and he couldn't think of any reason why she could possibly be angry.

One of his eyebrows arched. “Somehow I find that hard to believe.”

“Well, that's none of my business,” she fired back – okay, _now_ she sounded angry – before disappearing under the blanket again.

...Okay, maybe a gentler approach would yield better results. “Come on, Kara. It can't have been that bad. Whatever happened, you know you can tell me. I promise I won't tease you or anything like that.”

Those blue orbs slowly reappeared from under the blanket after a long period of silence. “...You promise?”

He gave her a solemn nod... or at least his best attempt at one. “I promise.”

Kara didn't look convinced, and reaffirmed that impression when she tugged her blanket in such a way that it pressed against her mouth and muffled her next words to such an extent that it was just one long garbled mess.

Getting her to talk was like herding an irate Broxx. Part of him wondered if this was the kind of situation that humans likened to poking teeth. Or was it pulling? Pulling made marginally more sense. Whatever; humans and their barbaric approach to dental care were not his concern at the moment. “...Okay, I'm going to need you to repeat that since I couldn't make out a single word.”

The blanket was tentatively pulled down to her chin. “Scott asked me to dance with him at the prom.”

It was starting to become a struggle to stay serious especially since he was pretty sure he knew where this was going. “...And...?”

Another long stretch of silence ensued. “...I stepped on his foot and broke three of his toes,” she finally confessed.

 _Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh_ , he mentally chanted even as he felt his face twitching as a result of his valiant attempt to not visibly react to her admission in a way that would most definitely make her mad.

An obnoxiously loud snigger escaped him anyway.

Barely a second later, a pillow struck him in the face. He didn't care. In fact, it just made him laugh even harder.

“ _Mon-El!_ ” she whined as she sat up and continued to hit him with her pillow, sounding half angry and half embarrassed. “You promised you wouldn't tease me!”

“I'm sorry,” he wheezed and lifted an arm in a weak attempt to fend off her attacks even as he tried and failed to put an end to his laughter. “But it's just... _so hilarious._ ”

“A human guy got hurt because of me! How is that funny in any way?!”

“It's the method. The method is _everything_.”

The next swing of the pillow was stronger than the ones before it. “ _Mon-El! Stop laughing!_ ”

“I'm trying, I swear!” Even as he said it, however, he kept laughing so hard that he nearly fell off the bed.

She let out a frustrated noise and hit him again. “I hate you so much right now!” Then she threw the pillow at his face, lay back down, grabbed her blanket and pulled it over her head once more.

Despite knowing that she had said it in the heat of the moment and didn't quite mean it, Mon-El still felt a sliver of guilt drive itself into his heart and his laughter finally began to subside. Said guilt grew when he considered the possibility that Kara might have even genuinely liked this Scott guy and therefore felt incredibly guilty about harming him by accident. The thought sobered him up completely and his laughter died for good. So much for wanting to fix things; he'd probably just made it worse. “Hey-”

“Go away,” came the muffled retort.

He winced and felt his guilt grow to twice its original size. “I'm sorry,” he tried, and hoped that he sounded as sincere as he felt.

“Good,” she responded forcefully. “You should be.” Then nothing. Again.

A gusty sigh escaped him and he scratched the back of his head as he tried to figure out a way to get himself out of the trouble he'd gotten himself into with such glee at first only to regret it not long afterwards. “Is there anything I can do to show you how sorry I am and fix this at the same time?” he finally asked after a long while of trying to come up with a solution on his own to no avail.

Silence greeted him, and it stretched on for so long that he'd almost given up hope by the time she finally responded. “...Maybe. But I'm not helping you come up with suggestions.”

That... wasn't very helpful. Still, at least there was hope. With that in mind, he refocused his mind on the problem at hand. So... the root of the issue was the prom's disastrous ending... which meant... “...How about a dance?” he suggested at random.

Just when he'd begun to think that his suggestion had been so dumb that she wasn't even going to entertain it, the blanket was slowly pulled away and he found himself staring into those familiar shining blue orbs again. “...A dance?” she echoed in a strange tone of voice. “Y-You mean... _our_ dance? Like... Like my sixteenth birthday?”

Encouraged by her reaction, he offered her a smile and a nod which he hoped wasn't coming across as too eager. “Yeah. I mean, your prom didn't exactly end on a good note because of something that happened while you were dancing and it's easier if we go with what we're both familiar with so... what do you say?” There was the impish urge to add that she didn't have to worry about breaking any of his toes but he stamped it out; mentioning that was pretty much guaranteed to just make her mad at him and he would be right back where he started.

“...O-Okay,” she finally whispered somewhat timidly – a far cry from her earlier mood – and slowly sat up on the bed even as the blanket construct faded away.

“Okay,” he repeated with a quiet sigh of relief and got up before turning to face her properly and offer her his hand. “Well then, shall we?”

“W-Wait.” He watched as she slipped out of her bed and dismissed the construct immediately afterwards. “J-Just... um, g-give me a second.” Then, just as he expected, her pyjamas shifted to be replaced by a simple yet stunning blue dress that brought out her eyes. If he had to guess, it was the dress she had worn to her prom. Regardless of whether it had been picked by her or Eve, it was definitely an excellent choice.

“You look beautiful,” he told her honestly, taking that as his cue to dismiss his construct of her room and replace it with the same grand hall he had created for her sixteenth birthday. “If that Scott guy had any sense – which he probably did to some degree despite being a primitive human since he _did_ ask you to be his companion to the prom –, he would have paid you the same compliment.” He paused. “He _did_ compliment you, right?” Surely that wasn't too much to ask of the guy, primitive human or not...

She shrugged and lowered her head to stare at her feet but he still managed to catch the blush that had suddenly spread across her cheeks. “He said I was pretty.”

Mon-El resisted the urge to sigh at the human guy's sub-par choice of words. At least it looked like it had made Kara happy. “I suppose that's good enough.”

“Th-Thank you, by the way.” She raised her head just enough to meet his gaze again. “F-For... y-you know... your compliment.”

It was his turn to shrug. “Just stating a fact. Do you want to start now?”

Instead of stepping forward and taking his proffered hand, she remained where she stood. “C-Can you... um...” she trailed off as her words seemed to fail her and her blush darkened. “Y-Your... um, clothes.”

“...You want me to change too?” he tried to guess.

“I-If you don't mind, I mean,” she quickly added.

He shook his head. “Of course I don't,” he answered even as he closed his eyes and transformed his clothes into the traditional formal wear of Daxam's royal court – the same outfit he had chosen to wear for her sixteenth birthday. It was a little strange when he thought about it; she'd been a lot more... well, demanding the last time she'd made this request. Was it because the circumstances were different?

“Th-Thank you.” Her whispered words of gratitude drew him out of his thoughts and he opened his eyes just in time to see her slip her hand into his and feel the golden light tentatively fill his head. “Um. We can start now.”

Well. There would be time to ponder her strange behaviour later when she wasn't around. For now, there were more important things to do. “All right.”

They danced in relative silence for a while, the music floating through the air the only sound to be heard, before Mon-El decided that he'd waited long enough and took a chance. “Can I ask you a question?”

Her gaze slid upwards to meet his, her eyes filled with open curiosity although there was a tinge of apprehension in them as well as the golden light. “About?”

“Well...” For a moment, he debated just dropping the matter but then decided to take the plunge. “I promise I'm not trying to tease you and you don't have to answer if you don't want to but... I was just a little curious how you ended up stepping on that Scott guy's toes.”

Kara stiffened in his arms, her gaze dropped back down to her feet and her blush that had faded away earlier made its triumphant return as the golden light seemed to shrink away from his thoughts. “I-I... um... I was just... thinking,” she finally answered... or rather didn't, since that was as unenlightening as an answer could possibly get.

“You're always thinking about something or other.” Even though he meant to state it like a fact – which it was –, it still came out sounding a little like he was teasing her like usual. Luckily, it didn't seem as if she took it that way judging by her lack of a reaction. “What were you thinking about so intently that you'd lose your concentration like that? I mean, you've managed to avoid incidents like this since you first started school and in much more stressful situations at that.”

“Just... things.” She still wouldn't look at him.

Giving up right now seemed like a waste so he kept pressing. “...Like...?”

She shrugged. “...The future, I guess. Mostly what Alfred told me.”

In the name of preserving the mood, he decided against pointing out the fact that she was crinkling. “Oh? Anything specific?”

Some tension bled out of her frame and the golden light seemed to relax. Playing along seemed to have been the right choice. “Finding a way to deal with Kal-El, Bruce and Selina doing what they do while I'm just... _trapped_... pretending to be human. I've been so focused on what they do as superheroes that I didn't pay any attention to what they do as... well, humans. I've been so focused on what I could be doing with my powers that I never thought about what I can do as Kara Danvers. But now I _have_ thought about it... and now I know what I can do. What I _want_ to do.”

“And that is...?”

“I want to study journalism and be a reporter like Kal-El. Because being a reporter is about connecting with people. It's about finding hidden truths and sharing them with the world. It's about service and telling stories that need to be told in order to make the world a better, more comprehensible place. I want to do that. And... And not just as Kara Danvers but as Kara Zor-El as well.”

“What do you mean?”

“Eve's been telling me about the anti-alien sentiments in National City – sentiments which I'm sure exist in other parts of the world as well – and things are... It's bad, Mon-El. Aside from the fact that aliens don't have any rights on Earth, there's a lot of fear among the humans about us and others like us. It doesn't matter if none of us have done anything; they fear us just because we're _different_. Because we don't ' _belong_ '. And because of that fear, they either outright hate us to the point that they try to hurt or even kill us... or they just want us gone and don't care if something happens to us. The few humans who do care and try to help are seen as traitors of the human race and attacked too. There are just so many injustices contained in this one situation that I feel the urge to destroy something just thinking about it.”

“But you can do something about it if you become a reporter.”

“I can. As a reporter, I'll be able to write stories that will show that there's no reason to fear us. That although we may come from another planet, speak a different language and all those other things, we're actually not that different. We need the same things – sustenance and shelter – and we want the same things – love and comfort. And if an alien gets hurt or killed, I want to write a story about it. I want to make sure that people know and can't turn away or pretend that it didn't happen. I want to make them _care_.”

“...But that's not all, is it?”

“...No, it's not. I... As Eve was telling me all these stories, I realised how lucky I am to have the life that I do. It's not just the fact that I look like a human; it's the fact that since the moment I arrived on this planet, people have cared for me. People have cared _about_ me. So many of the other aliens haven't been able to have that luxury.”

“It's not your fault that you have these advantages, Kara. You shouldn't feel guilty about it.”

“I do though. I know it's irrational but I just...”

“You care. Too much, I would say.”

“There's no such thing.”

“There is when it's you.”

By then, the music had come to an end but while they had similarly stopped, neither of them made any move to so much as let go of each other.

Unsurprisingly, she was the one who spoke up and brought the silence that had followed to an end. “I've decided I'm going to study another subject at the same time.”

Mon-El blinked. Kara was a genius even by their standards so he had no doubt that she would be able to not only accomplish it but be at the top of her class if she so chose. However, it was a sharp contrast to her preference for keeping a low profile in every aspect of her life. There had to be a very specific reason why she would do this and he felt compelled to find out what it was. “What is it?'”

The golden light in his head tensed as she took a deep breath before answering, and that was all he needed to know that he wasn't going to like what she said next. “Astrophysics.”

That explained everything. “Kara-”

“I'm doing it for myself, Mon-El,” she cut him off with a chastising look, her brilliant blue eyes shining with defiant anger and her trademark stubbornness. “You're not the only one who misses the stars.”

He wasn't entirely convinced. “That's not the only reason you chose this particular subject and we both know it.”

To her credit, she didn't try to deny it. “There's a chance I might be able to learn something I didn't know before that could help me find and rescue you, yes. And since I'm trying to rescue you of my own volition, that still counts as doing it for myself.”

Gratitude, fond exasperation, humility and some other feeling he couldn't name filled him but sadness overrode them all. “Kara...” He lifted the hand that had been resting on her waist to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “It's been... what, six years out there? You tried. I appreciate it, I really do, but... it's time to let it go – to let _me_ go – and live your life for yourself instead of wasting it on an endeavour that may never amount to anything.” It felt like the right moment to do this now that it seemed as if she had finally found the great purpose Rao had intended for her.

He'd basked in her radiance for long enough – far longer than he had any right to do so.

She shook her head violently and the golden light in his head radiated anger. “ _No. Never_ ,” she fired back defiantly as the hand that had been on his shoulder slid down to rest right above his heart. “I don't care if it takes me another six years or another sixty years, Mon-El. I promised I'd rescue you and that's exactly what I'm going to do.” Her fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt and she lowered her gaze as she visibly fought to keep her tears at bay and suddenly he could see it all too clearly – that undercurrent of fear lurking underneath the rage. “Why... Why do you keep trying to convince me to give up on you? Why do you keep thinking I'd _ever_ abandon you?”

 _Because I don't deserve to have you in my life. And someday, you'll realise that too._ “I just want you to have the best possible life you could possibly have.”

Her gaze snapped back up to meet his, and she looked even more defiant than before if that was even possible. “We'll just have to agree to disagree about what that actually entails.” She let out an angry huff and the golden light seemed to bump itself against his mind in a manner akin to an enraged animal. “And for the record, I'm seriously annoyed that you brought this up after we danced _again_. Is this going to become a pattern?”

A pattern? “Not that I mind but... are you expecting more dances in the future?” he asked curiously.

Then he watched in silent fascination as her expression changed from livid to surprised and then to embarrassed complete with a luminescent blush in the span of a heartbeat. “I-I-I didn't... Th-That is... um... N-Not... Just... Y-You...”

Even if he put the stuttering aside, that was still the most incomprehensible jumble of words he had ever heard her utter before. “How about it then?” he offered gently as a way out for both of them.

The golden light, which had been shifting restlessly as if it was looking for an escape, stilled as she stared at him in mild shock. “W-What?”

“Another dance,” he clarified. “And this time, I promise not to bring up that topic so there won't be a pattern.”

“...Promise?” she asked timidly after a while, and the golden light emanated both faint hope and quiet doubt.

“I promise,” he replied sincerely.

“...Okay then.” Despite the hesitation in her voice, it was clear that she was more than eager to accept his offer.

“...Can I just say something that has been weighing on me since earlier though?” he asked after they'd been dancing for a while.

“...What is it?” she asked warily, clearly suspicious but unable to discern his intentions despite being able to see his thoughts.

“Well...” He did his best to suppress his urge to grin and maintain a grave look on his face. “I know it's an excellent way for you to achieve your goal and I'm happy for you but I can't in good conscience completely support your choice to follow in your idiot cousin's footsteps. It's making me worry that you're starting to get influenced by his stupidity.”

Unlike with Scott, no toes were broken when she stepped on his foot. Intentionally, even.

 

* * *

 

Going back to school after the prom was somewhat torturous. It had taken less than an hour after Kara had accidentally trampled Scott's foot before practically everyone in school knew about it. As a result, she was given a wide berth especially by Scott and his friends and whispers followed her everywhere.

It really made her regret accepting his offer. Why in Rao's name had she done that in the first place?

Eve offered her sympathies albeit in her own mystifying way. “A lot more dramatic than the ending I wanted or was expecting,” the girl commented with a sigh. “But I'm starting to learn that I should always keep my expectations incredibly low when it comes to this.”

“I'm not in the mood for more riddles, Eve,” Kara groaned as she buried her head in her arms and continued doing her best to ignore all the gossiping going on around her. “If you have something to say, please just say it already.”

“Nope. You have to figure it out for yourself or there's no point.” Nevertheless, Eve seemed to take pity on her and let the matter drop. “Well, what's done is done. Let's just focus on our future as university students and roommates. By the way, what do you think about me studying nuclear physics?”

Grateful for the distraction, however stressful in its own right, Kara threw herself into their preparations and planning to the extent that she barely noticed the days passing and it was time for her to graduate before she knew it.

As surprised as she was about the speedy passage of time, she was even more surprised to come home from school one day to find Alex sitting calmly in the living room as if she had never left.

“What, you didn't seriously think I would miss attending my little sister's graduation, did you?” Alex asked with a wide smug smirk on her face as she took in the sight of Kara gaping openly at her without emitting a sound.

The smirk barely dimmed when Kara came one step short of crushing her adoptive sister's ribs to dust in a tight hug.

“Thank you,” Kara mumbled.

Alex merely shrugged and hugged her back. “Wouldn't have missed it for the world.”

There was a long stretch of comfortable quietude as the two girls remained locked in their embrace while Eliza watched them both with a loving smile on her face.

Then Alex decided to ruin it.

“On an unrelated note, can I have my Batarang now?”

“ _I knew you didn't just come back to see me!_ ”

 

* * *

 

While it was nothing like her people's ceremonies and she still didn't see the logic in tossing their caps into the air despite knowing the history behind the tradition, Kara found herself enjoying her graduation ceremony nonetheless. It felt like she was finally experiencing the big change in her life that she had been expecting when she turned sixteen. She was on the verge of entering a new stage in her life and the world, as the humans put it, was her oyster.

Still, she would be lying if she said that she wouldn't miss the life she had led in Midvale for the past six years.

“I know I don't say this often enough, Eliza,” she addressed her adoptive mother in what she hoped was an appropriately formal tone, “but I'm incredibly grateful for everything your family has done for me. Even after what happened with Jeremiah, you still cared for me even though I wasn't your daughter by blood and... and there are no words to describe how much that means to me. I'm fully aware that it was hard for you to raise Alex and I by yourself after that and I just... I want you to know that I'll never forget that even after I've moved out of your house.” By this point, she was blinking back tears and struggling to keep her voice even. “You may not be my birth mother but... I promise I'm going to make you proud.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” In contrast, Eliza did nothing to stop the tears running down her face as she smiled and reached out her arms to pull Kara into a hug. “You already have.”

“Aww, come on,” Alex whined from the side as she stared at the two of them. “If the two of you start crying, I'm going to end up crying too and I can't ruin my tough-as-nails reputation. And in front of the entire school at that.”

“You're already crying, silly,” Kara laughed wetly as she reached out to pull Alex into the hug.

That was how the Teschmachers found the Danvers a short while later – everyone was kind enough not to say anything when Alex furiously wiped away her tears – and both families then made plans to have dinner together that night. (Kara was a little embarrassed over the fact that her first meeting with Eve's mother consisted mostly of the woman thanking her profusely for saving Eve's life.)

The dinner was mostly a light-hearted affair with the two younger girls grilling Alex about university life while the adults continued to hash out the finer details about their children's move to National City. Things got a little bit more interesting when Alex accidentally talked a little too loudly about all the parties that were held by her fellow students and was overheard by the adults, prompting a nice long one-sided conversation about responsibilities and safety measures that continued all the way until both families parted ways and went home.

There, Kara found herself once again on the receiving end of The Talk – alone again, of course, what with Alex making herself scarce the moment she found out what was coming – along with a lecture about drinking in moderation – apparently it didn't matter that Kal-El had told them that human alcohol had zero effect on their Kryptonian physiology – and none of her protests that she had no interest in drinking whatsoever seemed to deter Eliza.

(Mon-El ended up getting locked out of her room in the dream world and had to plead his way in once again.)

Kal-El visited the next day, bringing with him a gift in the form of triple chocolate fudge cookies from Wayne Manor and apologies from all three of its inhabitants for not being able to attend her graduation themselves. It was a nice reprieve in hindsight as the months that followed were, perhaps unsurprisingly, as hectic as the ones that had preceded the graduation. Both Kara and Eve were once again swept up in the final stages of their preparations for university life and at times it seemed as if there wasn't even time to catch their breath. There was the packing, making an early trip to see their future accommodations, the campus visit... Everything became a bit of a blur after the first couple of weeks despite Kara's excellent memory.

One thing that did stand out was finding out that St'rki couldn't come with her because pets were not allowed in their future accommodations, and so it was with a heavy heart that Kara said goodbye to her loyal pet when it was finally time to move out.

“Take care of Eliza for me, okay?” she whispered as she cuddled the black ball of fur in her arms and resisted the urge to cry for what felt like the thousandth time throughout this entire process. “She's probably going to feel pretty lonely from now on so I'm counting on you to make sure she never gets too sad. And maybe when I finish my studies, I'll be able to find a pet-friendly place so you can come live with me again.”

St'rki let out a plaintive meow and licked her face, a gesture she decided to see as his overall sadness at her departure but grudging acceptance of the important responsibility he had been given.

Things did not get any less hectic once Eve and her finally moved into the apartment which would be their home away from home for the next four years. Their first few weeks of university life were a whirlwind of activity, making it hard to appreciate the beauty of spring around them. Even her accelerated healing didn't seem to be able to save her hand from cramping up as a result of the hundreds of forms they needed to sign for one reason or other. When they didn't have some on-campus business to deal with, Eve was dragging her off to show her around National City, pointing out her old haunts as well as exploring other places that she definitely wanted to go to when they had free time.

Places which included clubs.

“Eve, you know I don't drink,” Kara reminded her best friend. “I can't even get drunk, for that matter.”

“It's not about the drinking, Kara,” Eve explained patiently. “It's the _socialising_. You know, making new friends... meeting cute guys.” She shot Kara a pointed, meaningful look. “I should probably tell you that dating is a core part of the university experience.”

“But I'm not interested,” Kara protested feebly.

“Gee, I wonder why,” Eve muttered cryptically but changed the topic before Kara could question her about the strange statement.

Despite having said as much and meaning it, Kara found herself mulling over the matter against her own will during a quiet moment alone in their apartment while Eve was out visiting her parents who were living together again now that there was no reason to stay apart. It was as if the thought had lodged itself so deeply into her head that nothing she did – reading, listening to music, mindlessly surfing the internet – could get rid of it. She sighed and buried her head in her hands, her half-filled schedule for the whole semester forgotten in front of her for the moment.

“It's illogical. And impractical,” she muttered out loud to herself in an effort to somehow convince the thought to leave her alone. While they had not actually dated, her experience with Scott had highlighted – painfully, at that, especially on his end – how dangerous it was for her to get involved with a human in any way, much less in _that_ way. As much as it embarrassed her to even think it, she tried imagining herself kissing some random human guy.

The imaginary guy's nose immediately got smashed and began spurting blood as he screamed in pain.

She winced and banished the disturbing mental image before it could make her queasy. Thinking about it just made her even more grateful she had a place like the dream world to go to where her powers didn't work and Mon-El was therefore never at risk of being harmed by them.

There was also the fact that getting into a relationship would mean taking time out of her life to spend with this theoretical partner. She glanced down at the schedule in front of her and scoffed. Between her journalism and astrophysics classes, study time, hanging out with Eve, reading things Mon-El would be interested in so she could relay it to him, sleeping so that she could see him and relay said information to him and about a hundred other smaller things in-between, she didn't see how she had any time to spare for a relationship.

Of course, she could sacrifice some of the time that could be said as 'reserved' for Mon-El such as the couple of hours here and there she planned to spend in the university's impressive library reading up on topics he liked or her sleeping hours...

 _Ha_ , she thought to herself with another scoff. _Fat chance._ In no universe was she going to prioritise some random human guy who wasn't even a friend over the guy she had known for one twenty-four year-long eternity, six years and counting who _was_ in fact her best friend. Even the few times she'd done that for Alex, Kenny and Eve had filled her with some small measure of guilt because doing so meant she was leaving Mon-El all alone in the dream world for just that much longer and it didn't matter how many times he'd told her that it was fine.

Then there were the secrets... and there were so many of them. Her entire existence was a secret, basically, and it seemed insanely risky and ill-advised to reveal her true identity to a potential partner who could turn out to be untrustworthy or spill her secret to someone who would use that knowledge for nefarious purposes. Plus, she didn't feel comfortable with the idea of being in a relationship with someone when she couldn't be _herself_ with them. It had been hard enough being friends first with Kenny and then with Eve – before the girl had found out, that is – while constantly watching herself and making sure that she didn't slip up around them. If friendships were already that hard, how difficult would a relationship be?

With that in mind, she could only see herself theoretically dating a guy who had already been proven to be completely trustworthy... or someone who already knew her true identity somehow. _And_ they had to be completely comfortable with it. Which was an incredibly short list that included Kal-El who was her cousin – which, _eww_ –, Bruce who was already in a relationship with Selina... and Mon-El.

Three points in and she'd already utterly demolished her potential dating future beyond all salvation. It really was a fool's errand and the sooner she could stop thinking about it, willingly or otherwise, the happier she'd be.

 _Honestly, if I was really serious about it, the only practical solution to the problem would be to date Mon-El_ , she thought idly to herself as she picked up her pen again and went back to filling up the rest of her schedule.

Exactly two minutes and thirteen seconds later, her brain finally registered that thought in its entirety.

Time ground to a halt. The pen stopped moving. Her entire body froze.

_...Wait, what?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CLIFFHANGER!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
> 
> How many of you saw this ending coming? Hopefully zero because I'd like to think that I've managed to keep most (if not all) of you in the dark about how I'm developing this story. I wonder if some of you might think that this cliffhanger is cruel... but trust me, you'll be glad I chose this as the arc cliffhanger because... well, that would be telling. Mwahahahahaha.
> 
> In any case, that's a wrap on Arc 2 of Paradise in a Dream!
> 
> Once again, I would like to thank everyone who has read, subscribed to, left kudos on and commented on this fic especially (but not limited to and in no particular order) akane171, yeratimelord_katniss, Crimson, 862euv, Sarah, Jrom0824, katie, Madelie... oh gosh, there are so many names the list seems to go on forever. Please know that even if I've missed your name, I want all of you to know that I'm very grateful for your support and I hope you'll keep looking forward to an update all the way until the end (even when I'm a little slow in updating, haha).
> 
> On to business! Some of you may remember a little poll that I conducted about the side ships all of you would like to see in this fic and some of you did in fact vote. However, I'm aware that sentiments towards certain characters may have changed since that first poll either because of the show or my fic itself so I'm going to do a full reset and reopen the poll without any of the old votes. So please, vote especially if you did so in the last poll! Or not; it's your choice. Again, you're not obligated to vote. Also, Sanvers and J'onn/M'gann will be following the canon timeline so you don't have to vote on those. (To be clear, the focus of this fic will still be Karamel. While these side ships will still get developed and featured wherever relevant/important, I will not be focusing too much on them as they are, after all, meant to be side ships.)
> 
> OPTIONS ("Other" is if you have a choice I missed, "None" is if you feel like sending someone to Singlesville):  
> Eve/Winn  
> Eve/Other or None  
> James/Lucy  
> James/Lena  
> James/Other or None  
> Lena/Winn  
> Lena/Other or None  
> Winn/Lyra  
> Winn/Other or None
> 
> PLEASE NOTE: THIS POLL WILL CLOSE THE MOMENT I POST THE FIRST CHAPTER OF ARC 3. NO LATE VOTES WILL BE COUNTED.
> 
> Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a break to recharge, iron some kinks out of the next arc and start the dreaded task of rewatching Season 1 just to make sure I didn't misremember anything. See you in about three weeks!
> 
> PS: Out of curiosity, would any of you like to share at what point you think Kara started crushing on Mon-El? Again, you don't have to answer but I thought it would be an interesting question to put forth and see what kind of answers I get.


End file.
